Wrong Kind of Place
by PancakeKILLER
Summary: Daisy Parrish has left an empty small town life to live in the big, bad city of Gotham. What will happen when the innocent damsel catches the eye of the illusive Batman and the crazed Joker? Joker/OC and Batman/OC. First story; don't hate!
1. New Beginnings

**This is my first story, I know this is a slow beginning, but I promise it will get more exciting in the next chapter! Please give me any advice, so I can improve. Much Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related**

I stared at the wall despondently. I had sat like this for hours, simply waiting for someone to tell me they had made a mistake or that something had changed. In my mind I struggled between the reality of my situation and the fantasy of reliving every moment; hoping that what I changed in my mind, would save them. I'm too young to have lost my entire family. I'm too young to have to bury my parents and sister. Why did fate have to ruin my life today? Why did the blood of my innocent family have to be shed because some idiotic man decided it would be okay to drive home drunk? Why hadn't I gone with my family when they begged me to go out to dinner after Amelia's piano recital? If I would have just gone along for once and not worried so much about my precious schooling, then maybe, just maybe, things would have ended differently tonight. However, as it was, I couldn't go back and change tonight's events

"Ms. Parrish? We need you to come with us so we can discuss your parent's wills."

I stood silently and nodded once. Holding my chin up, I forced herself to move toward the door and face the horrors of what tomorrow might bring.

*** six months later ***

"Daisy, you need to hurry up or you're going to miss the train!" Samantha yelled from the base of the stairs.

"Give me just a second Aunt Sam! I want to make sure I have everything before we head off." I slowly made sure the photos of my family were wrapped tightly in tissue paper so they wouldn't break on the rough train ride. It had been six months since they had passed; I still refused to believe they were gone. I just know that one day they are going show up on my door step with goofy grins plastered on their faces and arms wide open expecting much needed hugs. A small smile crept to my face as I thought of how tender and soft the moment would be.

For now the open arms of my Aunt Samantha would have to do. After the tragedy, I was sent to live with her aunt. Sam was always kind to me, but she treated me as if one touch would cause me to crack into a million pieces. It was one of the main reasons I had to live my small back woods town in Georgia. I couldn't live in a town where everyone seemed to think the death of a family was contagious. Ever since the accident, people stared at me with this look of pity. I didn't want their pity and I hated that almost everyone was afraid to say something to me for fear that they would upset me. Their pity motivated me to study hard and graduate as valedictorian of my class so I could continue my education at Gotham University.

That was where I headed today… My first time in the big city and I would have to face it alone. I always expected my mom would be with me, ready to catch me if I fell. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it on my own, but I was just going to have to try. That's all I could do anymore. I kissed my Aunt Sam good bye as I loaded my suitcases into my car and drove toward the train station. Somehow I knew that things were only going to get harder from here on out.


	2. Strange Encounters

**Yay for a review! I'm so happy to have some feedback on the story... Please take the time to review so I can continue to improve. Once again, this chapter is a little slow paced, but I promise it's about to get exciting! Bear with me. I'm going to try to update everyday, so long as school doesn't get in the way. I apologize for any serious mistakes I made with the dorm registration process.. I haven't had to go through it yet, so I just guessed on the whole situation. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related!  
**

I took a big breath as I made my way towards the doors that would open up to my new life in Gotham. I struggled to carry all of my baggage onto the street so I could hail a cab. As soon as I had made my way onto the sidewalk, my jaw dropped.

This city was huge. The buildings loomed ominously overhead and the streets were bustling with excitement as people hurried to make their way towards work. Everywhere I turned there were people with fancy business suits and briefcases. I looked down at my white cotton sundress and sandals with disdain. Back home this outfit would have been seen as very classy and sophisticated, but here in the city everyone was wearing dark colors and designer labels I could only ever dream of affording. How on Earth was I going to survive a whole school year here?

I forced myself to smile as I hailed a cab.

The cab driver helped me load my heavy baggage into his trunk as I climbed into the backseat.

"Where ya' headed, miss?" He asked with a greasy smile plastered on his face.

"I need you to take me to Meeting Street on the Gotham University Campus. You wouldn't happen to know how to get to McAllister Hall from there, would you?" I asked with a slight tinge of nervousness in my voice.

"Yeah, I can get you there," he said with a slight chuckle. "So you're new here to Gotham, eh?"

"Y-yes, is it that obvious?"

"Nah, it's just that you seem pretty nervous and all. Don't worry, you're gonna be just fine. But be careful when it gets dark out; Gotham University is on the rougher side of town and you never know just who might take an interest it you." He said in unpromising tone.

"Is it really so bad? I think I can manage on my own… I do have my own pepper spray after all." This cab driver was really starting to give me the creeps. He made it sound like I should be worried for my life already.

He laughed at me. "I don't know if pepper spray is gonna help ya' out too much, sweetheart. The thugs of Gotham aren't taken down so easily. Just watch out; I don't want to see you on the news as a human skin suit for some psycho."

I shuddered at the thought and started to rethink my decision to go to Gotham University. Becoming a human skin suit didn't exactly sound like my ideal future…

"Anyway, we're here at McAllister Hall. You need any help getting your bags up to your dorm?" The eerie cab driver asked me. I didn't know if I trusted him enough after that car ride to let him see where I would be staying for the next year.

"No thanks, I can manage it from here!" I exclaimed a little too quickly as I forced a smile to cover how nervous I really felt. I quickly handed him his fare and began toting my things towards the registration area.

I hopped into line behind a group of girls who were all gossiping excitedly.

"Did you hear about how he saved a whole bus full of children from a bridge that was rigged to explode?" I heard the tallest of the three girls ask in a hushed tone, as if she were afraid for anyone else to overhear.

"Yes! And then he stopped a major drug deal in the Narrows!" The short, brunette with a terrible spray tan exclaimed as if it were the most exciting thing she had ever heard.

I politely tapped on the tall girl's shoulder.

"Excuse me, but who are you talking about?" I inquired as I felt a light blush creep to my face.

"Like, duh! The Batman, stupid!" The short, brunette scoffed at me before the tall girl even had a chance to answer.

"Oh, well that's fine and dandy, but who is Batman?" The confusion was apparent in my voice. What kind of name was Batman? In my mind all I could picture was a man running around in black tights, underwear, and crazy homemade wings running around and pretending he could fly… Not exactly a pretty picture.

"He's only, like, the coolest and best superhero in Gotham!" A tiny blonde with the group piped up.

"Yeah, he just showed up one day and started taking back the streets of Gotham from thugs and scum. Things have been getting safer ever since he showed up." The tall one answered me kindly.

"Not to mention, he's super hunky." The short, brunette butted in again.

I was a little disturbed by the fact they called him a superhero… Weren't superheroes supposed to only be in movies and cartoons? It just seems nonsensical that a major city would have a man running around "fighting crime" by night and day-lighting as a normal human being. My apprehension towards Gotham was growing slowly.

"Oh, that's so cool!" I mustered some fake enthusiasm for the girls. They were clearly very into the whole situation.

"Yeah, totally!" The tiny blonde chimed in again as they moved forward to get their registration done.

I noticed an open slot at the end of the registration area and headed that way to get started on the process.

"Hi, I'm Daisy Parrish!" I happily told the women who would be helping me.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Parrish; I'm Mrs. Hayes. I just need you to quickly fill out these forms so I can assign you your dorm key." She told me with a bright grin.

I filled out the forms as quickly as I could. I was anxious to settle in and meet my new roommate.

"Here you go, Ms. Parrish. You're in Room 215 with Ms. Bryant. Just take a left inside those doors and head to the elevators. Once you're on floor two, your room will be a few doors down on the right side."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Hayes!"

I made my way in the room and let out an exhausted sigh as I dropped my luggage on the floor.

"Tired already? It's only the first day!" A hyper tone came from the corner of the room. I jumped in alarm at the voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you; I just assumed you saw me. I'm Rebecca Bryant and it's a pleasure to meet you!" She said as she stepped in front of me to grip me in a hug. Rebecca had long, brown hair that extended past her shoulders. Her eyes were a shocking blue color that sharply contrasted her tan skin. She stood at roughly 5'1" and, simply put, was stunning.

I happily returned the hug.

"I'm Daisy Parrish." I said brightly.

"Daisy Parrish? That's so cool! You're name sounds so traditionally southern; I'm so jealous. And the whole belle look you've got going on? So cute! You're precious."

"Oh, well thanks, I guess?" I said as a nervous blush rose to my cheeks.

"You're quite welcome, babe! So where are you from? And here, let me help you unpack all this stuff." She said as she motioned towards my bags.

"Thanks, that would be very helpful. And I'm from Georgia near the South Carolina border. What about you?" I asked as I unzipped my suitcase and began unpacking my personal decorations from the first large suitcase.

"Gotham born and bred." She told me with a look of extreme pride.

"Thank goodness! You have to help me get used to this city. I'm so lost when it comes to Gotham." I sheepishly admitted.

"Of course I'll help you! Here, how about we go out for coffee after we finish unpacking? I know the cutest place just a few blocks up the road."

"That sounds wonderful." I admitted

A few hours later the sky was just beginning to change into a light purple shade that signaled dusk. I watched as Rebecca placed her final decorations on the shelf.

"Ready to go?" She asked whilst quickly turning towards me.

"Sure thing, darling!" I exclaimed as I grabbed my purse.

Rebecca opened the door and we both hurried out to face the excitement of Gotham after hours.

She led me down several streets, all of which I tried to memorize in case I should ever get lost here.

Finally she stopped me to open the doors of Cosmic Coffee.

"Come on! They have the best lattes in town"

How could I argue with the best lattes in town?

She ordered me some crazy latte that she claimed was her favorite and I sat down to await my order.

We sat in there for a while discussing our pasts and everything that went along with them. Rebecca lost her dad to cancer a few years back and was at Gotham University for the same reason I was: we both wanted to make something more of ourselves. Everything was going great until she got a text from her ex-boyfriend.

"Look, Daisy, I have to go. Jeff says it's urgent and that he needs to see me immediately. You can get back from here by yourself, right?"

She looked so worried and I didn't want to hold her back.

"Yeah, totally! I'm a big girl; I can handle this." I said and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thanks so much, babe! I promise to be back as soon as I can. Shoot me a text if you get lost; I'll come find you." With that she got up and headed to the door. She gave me a slight wave and walked off into the night.

I let out a small sigh. Of course I was going to end up spending my first night in Gotham alone. I picked up our trash and headed towards the door.

Once on the streets, I struggled to remember which way I was supposed to be headed. After I had spent 5 minutes debating whether to turn left on Pemberely Street or Washington Street, I decided it would be best to call Rebecca for directions. As I reached into my purse, a pair of hands grabbed me and pulled me towards the alley.

I grunted as I was pushed into a wall and held with a knife dangerously close to my throat and a hand tangled into my hair to pull me head back.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all by yourself out here?" A gruff voice asked me. The man's breath reeked of alcohol and weed. I nearly gagged.

"L-leave me a-alone!" I stammered out at him.

"Not until I get what I need from you first." He grunted out at me. I felt his hand in my hair slowly start moving downward toward my body.

I whimpered and began to fidget away from him.

"Calm down now, babe. It'll all be over in a couple of minutes." He said with a maniacal chuckle.

Hot, salty tears began to edge their way down my face as his hand progressed toward the edge of my dress.

I squeezed my eyes tight and hoped that in a moment I would wake up and this would all be a dream.

Suddenly the weight against my body was removed and I heard the dull thud of a body hitting the floor. I opened my eyes and gasped as I saw what seemed to be a man dressed up as a bat attacking my assaulter. The man who attacked me hit the alley wall with a sickening crunch and the man who saved me began to approach.

"Miss, are you okay?" He asked with a voice full of concern.

"Y-yes. Are you the Batman?" I asked him curiously.

His answer was only a slight nod.

"Be careful next time you're on the streets. It's not safe for a woman alone on this part of town."

He began to stalk off.

"Wait!" I called out. He slowed to a stop and turned back towards me. "Uhm, would you mind helping me find my way back to McAllister Hall?" I asked as my face turned cherry red in embarrassment.

"Of course. Just go two blocks down this street and take a left onto Washington. From there the first right will be Meeting Street. Just follow Meeting Street down to McAllister." He calmly told me with the hint of a smile peeping out from the bottom of his mask.

"Thanks, Batman!" I exclaimed gladly.

"Anytime, Miss." He said and stalked off into the night before I could even say goodbye.

I made it back to the dorm safely thanks to Batman's wonderful directions. Once in the dorm I quickly put on my nightgown and prepared for bed. I heard Rebecca enter the door around 2 am. I considered jumping up to tell her every moment of my night after she left, but I decided against it. Rebecca would worry about the fact she hadn't been there for me on my first night in Gotham. For now, my Batman encounter would belong solely to me.


	3. Think Twice

**I'm ecstatic about the feedback I've been getting for this story. Please remember to write reviews, so I can improve myself. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related!  
**

The next day I awoke to the sound of Rebecca's chipper Lady Gaga tunes blaring through her alarm clock radio. I groaned; It was way too early for her to be up and going.

"Come on, sleepy head! We have to register for our classes today. Start getting dressed." She told me as she pushed me awake.

"But Rebecca, it's so early." I whined to her as I tried to force myself back to sleep.

I heard her sigh from across the room. The next thing I knew she had ripped the covers off of me and I sat shivering in my night gown.

"Daisy, don't be ridiculous. We have to get down there early so we can be sure to get the classes we want."

"Fine. I'm up; I'm up." I hoisted myself out of bed and pulled on my athletic shorts and a tank top. No need to get fancy to register for classes.

I looked at my reflection in the door mirror. A large, purple bruise had formed near the front of my shoulder from where I was pushed against the wall the night before. Apparently I wasn't the only one noticing it.

Rebecca gasped, "Daisy! Where on Earth did that come from?" She exclaimed with worry apparent in her voice.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just tripped and fell when I was on my way home last night. No worries." I tried to convince her. I wasn't sure I wanted Rebecca to know about my run in with Batman. I wasn't really in the mood to relive every moment of last night's events.

"Oh, I see." I could tell by her tone she wasn't entirely convinced by the weak lie.

We sat in silence as we finished getting ready for the day. A few minutes later we were both ready for action.

I followed her through the busy campus to what I assumed to be a library. From there, she led me to a back room filled with computers. An attendant in the room eagerly rushed over to help me get started.

"Just enter in the student ID they gave you with your room key and log in to the database. From there add the courses you plan on taking and just click finish when you're satisfied." She told me happily.

I nodded and mumbled a quick thank you as I got started.

I looked at the courses with determination. After resolving a few timing conflicts, I settled for Calculus, American Literature, Mythology, and Psychology. Rebecca told me that most freshmen only took 4 courses and I happily followed her instruction. We printed off our schedules and headed out for the day.

"Come with me downtown so we can grab some lunch and I'll introduce you to my mom; she works at Wayne Enterprises."

"Sounds like a wonderful idea." I obliged and followed Rebecca towards the streets.

She hailed a cab and we headed off towards downtown.

I wondered about my Aunt Sam and what things were like back home. Aunt Sam was probably cleaning and preparing the house for Supper Club. I figured I should call her later; she was probably anxious to hear how my first day went. As I day dreamed about life back home, I didn't even notice that traffic had come to a complete stand still.

The cab driver began to honk noisily and try to swerve around the cars around us. My body was jostled from side to side and I was getting a little motion sick.

"Hey Rebecca, do you think maybe we could just walk from here? I think it would be a little quicker than waiting in this traffic." I asked her as politely as I could.

She looked at me with slight uncertainty at the idea, but nodded her head anyway.

"Yeah, I think you're right about that. The walk isn't too long from here." She said and smiled. She handed the driver some money and hopped out of the car. I quickly followed her example.

"Wayne Enterprises is the tall building straight ahead; it looks far away, but it's only a few more blocks from here. There we can grab my mom and head to the deli next door for subs."

I simply nodded my head in response.

We walked about a block down when we discovered the cause of the traffic jam.

A large fire had begun in the middle of the street from what seemed to be a three person car crash. I smelt the bitter tinge of burnt rubber on asphalt and crinkled my nose in disgust.

"How do you think that happened?" I asked inquisitively as I pivoted towards Rebecca.

Rebecca was motionless, her face contorted in horror as she stared farther down the street. And that's when I saw him for the first time.

My gaze fell upon a man in a strange purple suit with a face painted like a vicious clown. All around him were his clown lackeys who were tossing large bags into the back of a large van. They filed out of a busted wall surrounded by flames and building rubble. All of a sudden the man in the suit began to laugh hysterically as if he had just heard the best joke in his life.

"Who is that?" I asked Rebecca quietly.

"The Joker." She replied in a breathy tone barely above a whisper.

The Joker? What a curious name. My mind was paralyzed with fear at the sights before me, yet my body was over taken by the intrigue I felt and I began to slowly creep forward.

Rebecca grabbed my wrist quickly.

"Daisy, we need to find a different way to go. If we interrupt his business then we're as good as dead." Rebecca's voice cracked as she looked fearfully at me.

I felt my body quiver as I took one more step forward. I restrained myself from being compelled closer towards the dreadful scene ahead. I continued, however, to stare directly at this so called "Joker" and his strange purple suit. His eyes began to survey the chaos in front of him as he chuckled. I shuddered, but couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes away from the crazed look on his face. In a very sudden movement, his head whipped towards me and we made direct eye contact.

His eyes were deep black pits that bore into my soul. I could feel him examining me and taking in all the signs of fear my body was showing. A crimson blush rushed onto my cheeks. I wasn't used to such intense examinations. His face contorted into a smirk and I realized I had begun to walk forward again. It was then that I first noticed the scars.

Extending from both corners of his mouth were two large, jagged, poorly patched up scars that carved his face into an eerie and constant smile. They were horrific at first glance, but upon further inspection I found them to have a quiet and peculiar beauty.

He tore his gaze away from me and burst into another hysteric fit as the loud noises of explosion rang out.

My body jolted out of the trance at the shock of the noise. Rebecca took this opportunity to pull me into the adjacent alleyway.

"Have you lost your mind?" She shouted aggressively at me. "The Joker is the most wanted man in Gotham. If I tell you we need to go, we need to go. Make a mental note of that. It doesn't mean you should continue forward and engage in creepy eye contact with the psychotic killer!"

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but how was I supposed to know he was a madman? I've only been in Gotham one day after all!" I huffed back at her.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sorry, I'm freaking out. I was just worried for you; the Joker isn't afraid to kill anyone. Just because the two of you hold eye contact for over a minute doesn't mean he wouldn't hesitate to kill you on the spot. He's a raving lunatic, Daisy. You can't just go approaching every strange person you meet and expect to live. Anyway, follow me down this alley. We can exit out the other side and continue on James Street towards Wayne Enterprises."

She began walking quickly away and I scurried to catch back up to her.

Her words stirred around in my brain. A raving lunatic? I'm sure that description was a little too harsh. Surely he couldn't be entirely evil. Back in Georgia the closest thing we had to a psychotic criminal was a guy who stole chickens because he claimed the chickens told him they wanted him to set them free. Talk about a criminal mastermind… not.

And there had been something so alluring in the dark gaze he cast over the city. It was like he knew everything about everyone and how it would all end. It was like he saw the true face of the city and was laughing at the chaos a slight change in daily life had caused. He appeared to have a stroke of genius about him.

Of two things I was sure: despite the fact Rebecca believed him to be, the Joker was most definitely not crazy and that this was definitely not going to be the last of my encounters with him.

The smirk and manic chuckle he directed at me assured that.

The intensity of his cold, black stare unnerved me for the rest of our trek to Wayne Enterprises.


	4. I Find It Kind of Funny

**Once again, I'm happy about the positive input I've been getting. Please don't hesitate to leave me a review; I need to know what I'm doing wrong and what you think about the story if I ever want to improve. With that being said, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related**

* * *

It felt like we had been walking for hours.

Rebecca kept insisting there were only a few more blocks we had to go.

I still couldn't shake the Joker from my mind though… What was really going on inside his mind when we had locked eyes? He had stared at me as if he could see into the recesses of my soul. The slight gust of wind on the street sent a shiver down my spine.

"Here at last!" Rebecca chimed. I could see the look of relief on her face at the thought of no longer having to be out on the street. Our encounter seemed to have really shaken her up.

We scampered through the door and she calmly approached the receptionist desk.

"Hey, Laura! I'm here to see my mom," she politely told the receptionist.

"Of course, Rebecca. Just give me a moment so I can phone her office and let her know you're coming up," Laura smiled kindly at

us before quickly punching some numbers into her desk phone.

"Prepare yourself: my mom is slightly crazy. She may come off as being a little wild, but she means well," Rebecca informed me before heading towards the elevator.

I hesitantly followed; I wasn't sure I could take too much more craziness today.

The elevator music was a slow jazz version of some old pop song. Rebecca merrily hummed along to the beat, yet the beat did little to calm my nerves.

We came to an abrupt stop at level 12.

"This is us," she said before grabbing my wrist to guide me towards the office.

She briefly knocked on the second door on the left before opening it.

I ran into her back as she unexpectedly stopped.

"Oh goodness, Mr. Wayne! I am so sorry! I didn't realize you and my mom were in the middle of a meeting; we'll just wait outside in the hall," Rebecca hurriedly apologized and began to usher me out the door.

"Don't worry about it, Ms. Bryant; me and your mom were just finishing up," he said as he shot her a polite smile. He turned to me and I saw his eyes give a flicker of an emotion I couldn't determine. I studied the defined contours of his face and his warm chestnut eyes. Something about him seemed so eerily familiar but I couldn't place a finger on it. It was as if he was shrouded by a dark cloud that my mind couldn't penetrate. He quickly turned his head back to Rebecca. "I hope you and your friend enjoy the rest of your day," he brusquely added before rushing past us and out the door.

"I'm so sorry, Mom! Laura didn't warn me he was in here."

"It's okay, baby. He stopped by very unexpectedly to check something about funding with me. Who's your friend?" She asked before giving me a tentative look.

"Oh, I'm Daisy Parrish, Rebecca's roommate," I chimed in a stuck my hand out to shake hers.

"Mrs. Bryant. It's nice to meet you."

She smiled politely, but I could tell she was judging me from the way her eyes followed my movements like a hawk. I'm sure my neon blue, striped running shorts and loose graphic tank top looked a little out of place in her office. Not to mention I hadn't washed my hair since the day before and I was sure my blonde hair looked slightly greasy and bedraggled in the side braid I had quickly pulled my hair into earlier. I was chastising myself in my head; I should have put a little more effort in my preparations today. Now Rebecca's mom probably thought I was a total slob.

"Yeah, we came to take you out to lunch," Rebecca casually informed her mom.

"Sure thing, sweetie. Let me grab my purse."

She warmly smiled at her daughter as she went around her desk to grab her things.

"Let's go." She said as she began to lead us out the doors.

* * *

The deli we ended up going to was on a quiet street corner. We had been sitting down for only a few minutes when one of the TVs in the restaurant started flashing red and white.

"Urgent News: The following video tape has just been sent in by masked criminal, The Joker. The Joker is wanted at large for his heinous crimes against the city of Gotham. These crimes include, but are not limited to, murder, arson, theft, and destruction of public property. Viewer discretion is advised," the serious, female news anchor informed.

The screen flashed for a moment before a choppy, homemade video began to air. A redheaded woman sat on a chair in the middle of a dark and dank room. She was bound and gagged; you could see the thick tear stains on her face from her runny mascara. She looked absolutely petrified.

"Go on, tell our, uh, lovely audience your name, dollface," a demented, high-pitched voice rang out from behind the camera before bursting into hysteric giggles.

"J-J-Jordan S-Sommers," The frightened girl managed let out.

"And, uh, do you mind telling us why you're here?" The voice rang out again.

"I-I got in the Joker's way." She choked out over a sob.

"Tell our little audience exactly, uh, what you told me," the manic voice prodded.

"That th-the Batman would stop you," She looked towards the camera with pleading eyes.

"And what makes you think Batman can stop me, huh?" At this the camera was quickly swung around to give a close up on the Joker as he talked. "Because I think your precious Batman is no better than, uh, well, uh, me. In fact, I want to challenge the Bat to a game. I want you to turn yourself in to the people of Gotham. Every day you don't, innocent people will die. Starting tonight. And, uh, you might want to hurry, because I don't know how much longer this one is going to keep me entertained." His face contorted in hysteric laughter as if the thought were the funniest thing in the world. With that the screen quickly turned black as the video clicked off.

The news reporter went on to discuss previous crimes the Joker had committed and we returned to ordering out food.

"Well I think I've suddenly lost my appetite," Rebecca addressed us as we sat shell-shocked at the horrid video.

"That man is truly disgusting. I don't understand why the Batman hasn't already taken him out. He kills for sport. I don't believe there's any goodness in his sick, twisted mind," Mrs. Bryant gave us her input.

I sat silently. There was no way he could have been serious with his threat. There was supposed to be goodness in everyone. Surely he would come to his senses before he killed such an innocent girl. Or at least, the Batman would stop him before he had a chance.

To me it seemed like the Batman was a god to the people of Gotham. Everyone I talked with seemed to think he was unstoppable and would rid the entire world of the scum like the Joker. I knew he had to be just an ordinary man underneath that wonder suit of his. He may as well be the boy taking our sub orders at this restaurant. It was certain that he had to be just an average man with a dark secret.

Back home, people would have thought I was crazy for even mentioning people like this. After today's events, I wasn't sure Gotham was the right city for me. It was only lunchtime and I had already witnessed a major crime and scene horrific videos from the local psychos. I wasn't ready for all this excitement at once.

I could only hope that the rest of my day would end up being vaguely normal.


	5. Business of Misery

**Happy to be posting the next chapter. I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on the story and what you think should happen! Please remember to review and tell me what I can fix in order for you to better enjoy the story. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The lunch with Rebecca's mom was so awkward. Every two seconds Mrs. Bryant would ask me an untoward question and leave me feeling very uncomfortable and self-conscious. It started when she asked me if I had a boyfriend. A simple question in itself, but when I told her I had only ever dated a few boys before I came to Gotham she began to list off all of the eligible socialite bachelors she could hook me up with. I had to awkwardly explain that I would rather focus on my studies than a serious boyfriend at the moment. That wasn't exactly true, but the disgusted faces Rebecca was making at the mention of some of the boy's names told me I didn't want to get involved with them. Her line of questioning then turned towards to my intimate personal life. When she asked me how many boys I had slept with, Rebecca finally intervened and got her mom to shut up. Mrs. Bryant finally realized she was making me uncomfortable and cut it out.

We paid for our meal and, after a few awkward goodbyes, Rebecca and I made our way back to the dorms.

Upon arrival, Rebecca began apologizing.

"I am so sorry, babe. My mom doesn't realize when she's making my friends uncomfortable. She sometimes forgets she's almost 50." Rebecca looked worriedly at me as if she expected me to berate her for having such a mother.

"Don't worry about it, darling. I was just taken aback, is all. I'm worried she doesn't like me," I trailed off with a frown.

"No, no, no! I'm sure she loves you! She just comes off as being really judgmental the first few times you meet her. The first time she met my friend, Stacy, she told her that she had the biggest boobs she had ever seen and then asked if they were natural. I was absolutely mortified."

I shuddered to myself at the thought of the uneasiness of being asked something like that. How do you respond to something like that? I, for one, wouldn't be able to come up with an answer quickly. I guess I would just have to learn to get used to Mrs. Bryant's crazy questions.

"Anyway, do you have a fake ID? I really want to make up for ditching you the other night at the coffee shop; I was thinking we could head out to this new club I heard about," Rebecca asked me with a mischievous look.

"Yeah, of course I do!" I was lucky my friend, Crystal, had convinced me to get one before I headed off to college. Crystal told me that every girl in the city was going to have one so I needed one. I'm willing to bet she was right, considering the ease Rebecca had asked me with.

Rebecca nodded to acknowledge my answer and began pulling things out of her closet.

"Alright, you have to help me pick out an outfit. I'm thinking on of these three," she said as she gestured to the outfits on her bed.

The first was a short halter dress that dipped low in the front and had virtually no back. It was adorned with thousands of tiny gold sparkles that made my eyes hurt from the flicker they gave off in the light. The second was an itty bitty, black, leather miniskirt and a corset top with white piping and embroidery. And lastly there was a pair of white booty shorts and red bandeau top.

I pointed to the first outfit. I figured it would probably go best with her complexion.

Then realization dawned on me. What in the world was I going to wear? I had nothing in my bag that looked even remotely close to what Rebecca had pulled out. Heck, I had never even been to a club before! I timidly turned to wear Rebecca was getting dressed.

"Uhm, Rebecca… I, uh… well… I've never been to a club before!" I blurted out uncontrollably.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Never? That's crazy talk! Well, do you at least have something you can wear?" She asked me frantically.

"Well the closest thing I have to what you pulled out is my sundress I was wearing the other day," I miserably admitted.

"Okay, well don't worry. I have something that will look just perfect for you!"

She began to dig through her closet until she finally pulled out a flame red dress. The halter dipped to a low V in the front and there was virtually no back. I looked at the dress apprehensively.

"Are you sure that isn't too much for me?"

"Daisy, don't be ridiculous. This is going to look wonderful on you. Just put it on and see what I mean."

I quickly slipped on the dress and realized just how tight it actually was. I tied the halter tightly down and realized the cleavage area was trimmed with lace.

"Oh my God! That looks so good on you, girl! I'm jealous; I wish I had your body," Rebecca gushed excitedly over the look.

I popped in front of the mirror to examine the outfit on myself. I gasped at my reflection. The dress hung to my every curve and ended just below my butt. Once I had tied the halter the low cut front covered more than I expected it would. I was showing skin, but not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I felt sexy and empowered.

"You were right; this dress is perfect," I sighed contentedly to Rebecca.

"I knew it would be. Try these pumps on with it. I'll help you do your make up and pick out jewelry once I'm done getting dressed," she replied and hand me a pair of huge black pumps.

I easily slipped them on and watched myself grow from 5'4" to 5'7'. It was like the fairy godmother of height had visited me.

When I turned back around Rebecca had managed to slip into her gold, glittery dress and thick, clear heels. Her long, dark hair fell softly around her face and her tan skin had the perfect contrast to the gold dress. She looked absolutely stunning.

"You look hot!" I giddily told her.

"Thanks! I'm thinking you should try a dark, smoky eye look with a light gloss over the lip. As for hair, I would just add a slight curl to it and the look will be smashing!"

I followed her orders and went to work on fixing up my face. After half an hour of hair and make-up preparations, the two of us were read to hit the city.

* * *

Rebecca led me down more unfamiliar streets and alley ways until we ended up in front of a building bustling with excitement.

"This is XS; it's supposedly the new big thing in Gotham. Now remember, after we get inside, just follow my lead. Be careful who you dance with and don't take drinks from strangers. You don't know what they've done to it. Otherwise, you'll be totally fine," she informed me one last time before she headed up to the bouncer.

She flashed him a smile and mumbled something and motioned to me before handing him her ID. He grinned and waved us in.

The inside of the club was hectic. The music was pounding loudly out of the speakers and the lights were flashing so quickly I couldn't focus. I just followed Rebecca to the dance floor where she immediately began to do her thing. She danced in crazy circles and promptly began to grind on several different boys. I mustered my courage and hopped into the wild dance scene.

I threw my hands in the air as I began to get into the song. I swung my hips along with the bass and closed my eyes.

After a few moments, a pair of hands found their way to my hips from behind me. I rocked back into the stranger and began to dance along with him. My eyes were still closed as my partner spun me towards him. My eyes fluttered open for just a second to meet his hard, steady gaze and then fluttered back shut.

An electric current shook through my body as we continued to dance together.

I felt the bass slow down at the end of the song and I took the opportunity to fully examine my partner.

He was wearing a pair of relaxed, slouchy jeans that hung low around his waist and an oddly colored purple tee. I could see the definition of his lean muscles through the fitted shirt and observed his the toned yet trim arms that were holding me to him. As I raised my head to survey my partners face, the flashing lights obscured my vision. For the moment all I could make out was his cold, dark eyes that bore into my very being. An eerie chill overcame me as my vision was returned. It was then that I noticed the rough, jagged scars protruding from the corners of his lips. I gazed in horror as I realized I was standing face-to-face with the Joker sans make up.

His eyes glinted as he saw the recognition cross my face. He leaned his head down towards me.

"Miss me, sweetheart?" He breathed into my ear.

I stood frozen, unsure of how to reply. I whipped my head around to search for Rebecca. She was nowhere to be found.

I felt my lip quiver.

The Joker giggled at my frantic state.

"Now you're gonna come with me quietly. And I would suggest being, uh, a good little girly. We don't want to have to show all the, uh, lovely people here what the insides of their brains look like, now do we?" He gave me a serious look before once again laughing.

"I understand," I hesitantly said. Going with the Joker was the last thing I wanted to be doing. Sadly, it was probably going to be the last thing I would ever do. However, I knew I had to go; I didn't want to see any innocent person harmed because I was too stubborn to go with the Joker.

He laughed and grabbed my wrist and led me towards a hallway in the back. We wove through throngs of people until we had finally reached a door.

The Joker kicked it open and flung me violently through it. I was stopped by a pair of gruff hands that grabbed me and pushed me towards a van that sat at the front of the alley way. I complied with their orders and climbed into the open van doors. The Joker followed me in and motioned for me to sit down.

Something was telling me that the rest of my night was about to head downhill.


	6. Live to Learn

**My apologies for such a delayed update! Final examines and what not have kept me incredibly busy over the past week. Hopefully I can resume regularly updating because a majority of my exams are done. I want to thank everyone who has favorited or subscribed to the story. A very special thanks, however, goes to Severus-Snape-Forever-Young, kykyxstandler, Tinker178, PrincessYouKnow, Leyshla Gisel, hermonine, allthelovers, and MaskedJ for their lovely reviews! The reviews have really encouraged me and helped me figure out where to go with the story. Please leave a review to tell me what you think of the story so far! In other news, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related**

* * *

My body jerked forward as the van screeched away from the club. I threw my hands forward in an effort to steady myself, yet it was to no avail. My body tumbled forward until a pair of sturdy hands caught me.

"Thank you," I whispered as I looked up to meet the eyes of the Joker, who had jerked forward to catch me. A look of surprise crossed his face at my words. I suppose not many of his victims thanked him for merely breaking their fall. I couldn't help it though; I was raised to honor the code of southern hospitality.

There was a moment of silent tension between the two of us. I was afraid to move or make another noise; I was fully aware that doing one thing wrong could cost me my life.

The Joker released my grip and a solid thud reverberated in the back seat from my landing. From the look he was giving me, I could tell he was probing my mind, trying to determine what I was thinking, wondering.

"So, uh, dollface, you got a name?" He asked me with slightest hint of annoyance.

I let my gaze drop to the floor. No matter how hard I tried to form the words, my voice wouldn't follow commands. I had my first wrong move of the night.

I felt the leather of his gloves gripped my chin and I had no time to react before he ripped my face upwards towards him.

"Answer me," his voice barked out. I winced and opened my mouth to try and sculpt my name.

"Daisy," my voice came out in a breathy whisper.

"Daisy?" He asked in a slightly hysteric tone and snickered. "Of course the innocent girl has an innocent name to match."

"Why am I here?" I steadied my voice to ask the question burning in my mind.

"You're going to be part of a, a social experiment I'm conducting…" he trailed off with an evil smirk plastered on his marred face.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I blurted before I could think to monitor my words. The Joker didn't seem to mind my outburst.

"You'll see soon enough." He grunted.

I took that as my cue to shut up.

We sat in silence for quite some time until I felt the ground coming out from underneath me. I cringed as I smelt burnt rubber from the tires screeching to a stop.

The Joker stood and glowered down at me.

I was ripped off of the ground as he grabbed my hair at the roots and tangled his fist in the loose strands. My body began trembling. When I was around the Joker it was like I couldn't control my body; I was completely at his mercy.

"Don't look so pathetic. You should really try smiling more, ya' know," his voice rumbled in deep, low pitch.

I peered from underneath my lashes to meet his stony gaze. "I'm sorry my state of being displeases you so much," my sardonic tone shocked even me. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand as my eyes bulged; I was scared by thoughts of what the Joker would think of my imprudence.

"A little bit of a bite… I like it." His grin expanded until it stretched from ear to ear.

He unfurled his fingers from my hair, picked up my purse that was on the floor, and motioned me forward. "Follow me," his voice was low and heavy.

I immediately did as told and followed him out of the van doors to see a seemingly abandoned warehouse. How typical: the demented killer is staying in an abandoned warehouse. Despite the fact it was like a scene from a bad horror movie, I was petrified beyond wits end.

I struggled to trot along next to the Joker's long staggered gait. His goons quickly fell in line behind us and prevented me any form of escape. Not like I would have tried to anyway; trying to escape from the Joker just did not seem like it would end well for me.

Once inside the warehouse, Joker led me through a labyrinth of twisting hallways and vacant rooms until he finally stopped in front of a grey, metal door. The door made a heavy thud as he pushed it open and led me in.

"This is where you will be staying," he informed me after I had made my way into the room. I eyed the window with a furtive glance. Nevertheless, he noticed.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try to escape through that. It's rigged to blow. One little nudge to open it and BOOM! So take my advice and, uh, stay put."

I nodded to show him I understood what he was telling me.

"I'll be back in to check on you later." He gruffly gave me the once-over before slipping through the door way and slamming it shut behind him.

I stared at the door for a moment after he left, praying that this might all just be a dream.

When I realized all hope of waking up in my cozy dorm bed next to Rebecca was gone, I took a moment to examine my room.

There was a mattress in the corner that was stained and yellowing from God knows what. The carpeted floor had large, dark stains in various areas and the walls were stained with the gruesome brown traces of what appeared to be dried blood. The room was lit by a flickering overhead light.

So, it was definitely not the Ritz Carlton, but it could have certainly been worse.

I moseyed over to the filthy mattress and mustered the courage to sit down on it. When nothing oozed out of the sides and I didn't smell rotting flesh, I relaxed with my back against the wall. I took the opportunity to remove my gargantuan heels that had been plaguing me since we had left the club.

Rebecca was probably just now leaving the club with some random boy she had picked up. She hadn't told me she planned on going home with anyone, but I inferred from the way she told me she would call me if she ran into trouble that it was her intention. I wished my cell hadn't been in my purse so I could have called her. This whole situation screamed trouble, after all.

I sighed; it was no use wishing. The Joker had me now and I was just going to have to suck it up and find my own way out.

I drew my legs up to my chest and drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

I was awoken by the loud bang of the door hitting the wall.

"Get up," the Joker's bitter voice roared at me.

I stumbled off of the bed and stood feebly in front of him. His hair was askew and he had a crazed look in his eye. Once again, my body began to quiver in fear as I dropped my gaze from his face.

I was abruptly knocked backwards and slammed against the wall. I winced as his arms pinned me into place. His right hand darted to his pocket to retrieve his blade. He flicked it open with an uncanny grace and the blade glinted in the reflection of the ceiling light.

"It's impolite to not look at someone while they're speaking to you," the low rumble of his voice resonated around me. He raised the blade upward to the sensitive skin around my collar bone and added just enough pressure to produce small, ruby red droplets from my skin. His tongue flickered out to lick his scars as he met my eyes with unparalleled intensity. "I think it's time you perk up, little Miss Daisy. After all, you do want to look good for your audience."

My brow furrowed in confusion at that last bit.

"What audience?" I wondered aloud.

"It's time for you to begin partaking in my social experiment," he said, not altogether answering my question, as he burst into a grin and giggled.

He jerked away from the wall and pulled me by wrist beside him. He began to trudge out the door with me in tow.

I shuddered as I thought of what endless horrors awaited me when we reached wherever we were going.

The Joker hummed a cheery tune in an off-key manner as we once again weaved through the halls. It was impossible to comprehend him. One moment he was threatening lives and the next he was simply whistling a happy tune like he was the jolliest man on Earth. Not to mention, there was something vaguely sensuous about the ease with which he maneuvered his knives that made no sense to me. In a logical world, I would find myself utterly repulsed by such a man, yet here in the real world, I found myself drawn to the psychosis within him. There was a blurred line between sanity and chaos that I realized I was walking.

I don't think I could have left the Joker's presence now if I was given the opportunity; there was too much to learn about him and too much chaos compelling me towards him.

Like it or not, I was indescribably drawn to the Joker and there was no escaping it now.

I was simply going to have to wait out the horrors to discover the secrets of the man behind the scars.

After we walked past countless doors, the Joker finally threw a red door open.

"Ta-da! Welcome to my live studio. Tonight's entertainment: you," he announced in a similar fashion to a game show host.

I tip-toed nervously inside and then instantly gasped at the monstrosities in front of me.

It was like my worst nightmare come to life.


	7. You've Played Your Part

**My sincere apologies for a, once again, delayed update. I have been extremely sick for the past few days and haven't been able to really do anything. However, I managed to squeeze this update out and I hope you all enjoy it. I want to send a warm thank you to kykyxstandler, Leyshla Gisel, Anonymous92, Cheekymonkey97, allthelovers, and England101 for their reviews! Please review the story so I can hear how you feel about the story and what you think should happen. Your reviews give me extra motivation to update and plan more for the story. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

My breathing hitched as my eyes took in the horrifying wonders the room held.

Two rows of three operation tables occupied a majority of space. The stands adjacent to them held various scalpels, needles, saws, knives and other medical equipment. Every surface was covered in dark red, thick pools of blood. The revolting stench of burnt flesh perforated the air surrounding us. My head jerked sideways as I heard the muffled cry of another being.

In one corner a girl who appeared to be in her late 20s was bound back onto a chair. There was blood oozing from her scalp throughout her auburn locks. Her mascara had run down and smeared along her face. Various cuts and bruises of different size and degree covered her pale skin that was covered in thick perspiration. I cast my eyes away from the monstrosities that smothered her being.

I was hoping I would find some sort of refuge from this terror elsewhere in the room, however, I found a young man in the other corner who was also bound and gagged in the other corner instead.

His head fun down and his shaggy dark hair covered any visibility of his face. His bedraggled suit and tie fell limp on his body. Although I couldn't see any physical damage to his body, there was a deep pool of blood that formed at his feet that made me queasy. He didn't seem to even acknowledge a presence in his room.

"Welcome to my studio! Please do, uh, take a seat," the Joker snickered before pushing me sideways and into the wall.

I let out a small whimper as I felt the cold metal wall colliding with my skin. Before I even had time to gather my senses, the Joker had thrust me downwards into a chair. He moved with inhuman speed as he spun the chair around and gripped me from behind. He yanked my arms back and out of socket before binding them. He crouched low and tied each foot to a leg of the chair.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered the ominous question before I could stop myself. I was petrified to hear his answer.

I heard a knife flick open as one of his hands knotted into my hair and pulled my head backwards. My neck was held at an unnatural angle as my fearful eyes latched onto his dark and sinister ones. His other hand snaked forward to trace the contours of the side of my face with his blade. He pulled the knife at a slow, sensuous pace with just enough infliction to draw a minimal amount of blood. I quivered as I watched his face contort with each movement. I recognized the look of desire that flashed in his eyes when he observed his handiwork. He loved the thrill of watching the blood, the thrill of being powerful, and the thrill of having no rules for himself. His greatest pleasure in life was watching uncontrolled movements. Finally, he leaned down towards my ear to whisper his cursed answer.

"Because I was bored, dollface," he murmured into the soft skin beneath my earlobe. The heat of his breath on my neck sent a shiver down my spine, but I quickly recoiled as he burst into a high- pitched laugh.

He spun my chair so I once again faced the room's other occupants and crossed the room to rip the other girl's gag out of her mouth.

"That, however, brings me to the reason the three of you are here tonight. It's time for this city to see the truth about its citizens' souls. The three of you in this room are going to choose which one of you deserves to die. The two who remain will be free to go back to the, uh, "normal" society. You have exactly 10 minutes to, uh, discuss the issue and then I will return to check your answers. If one of you fails to make a choice, then all three of you die. Let the game begin." He finished his speech with another maniac giggle before barging out of the room.

I looked up at the others in the room. They both looked so frail and weak. The boy had finally lifted his head and I saw the giant claw marks across his face; from their puffy, inflamed look, they had been obtained recently and not cleaned properly. His eyes held fury and contempt towards everyone in the room.

"I won't be the one to go. I've come too far for you two to cause me my life now," he spat in a venomous tone.

I looked over toward the girl, who was staring at him with a pained look.

"Why shouldn't it be you? You're the closest to dying of the three of us! You've been here since before I got here and have been moaning ever since! Me and the blonde one over there at least have a shot of surviving after this. Just give it up, because if the two of us vote for you then you're gone," she hissed towards him.

The two of them kept going at each other for quite some time while I sat shell-shocked. How could I choose to murder an innocent person to save my own skin? Both of them had been through unimaginable torture and it upset me to think they might die without purpose. My morals were telling me that I was going to have to be the bigger person here.

"I'll do it. I'll volunteer myself. Neither of you have to die tonight."

Silence fell as they whipped their heads toward me in shock.

"What?" The girl's voice penetrated the stillness.

"Both of you have been through enough torture. I won't let either of you die to save my own skin," I hesitantly told them.

The boy leaned back with a smug look on his face.

"So there we have it: blonde girl will sacrifice her life for ours. If it's her own choice, we shouldn't have to feel bad about it." Although he appeared confident, his shaky voice was telling me that he was trying to convince himself it was okay.

The girl looked at me with utter confusion and then to the boy. Finally, she lowered her head.

Their cowardice condemned me to my fate.

I tried to convince myself it wouldn't be so bad. Once it was all over, there would be no more pain or sadness in my life. I would know the answer to the eternal question of "What comes next?" Surely it wouldn't be so terrible.

The three of us sat in utter silence for the remainder of our time.

After 2 minutes of agonizing quiet, the Joker made his reappearance at the door. A video camera was cradled in his hands. He raised it with a smirk and pointed it at all of our faces.

"So, which of my three lovely contests shall be taking the final step tonight? Have we decided?"

He could barely contain his grin as I looked up at him.

"I volunteer myself in their place," I spoke as bravely as I could.

He took a moment to process my statement. At the realization of what I said, he threw the camera onto the ground. I flinched as it shattered into pieces.

He staggered towards me and held a knife at my neck.

"What?" he growled.

"I said, I volunteer myself in their place." The blade on my throat brought a sharp clarity to my thoughts as I answered his question.

Of course he was upset; his game wasn't supposed to go this way. We were supposed to all be vicious cowards on the inside. No one was supposed to volunteer themselves. It ruined his thrill.

His hand drew back and he slapped me hard across my face. I felt the tears well in my eyes at the stinging pain I was beginning to feel.

"I heard you the first time." He hissed.

I remained quiet as he stalked away from me.

He approached the boy in the corner of the room and quickly stabbed him in the gut. The movement was so rapid, I had barely processed it before he made his way across the room and did the same to the girl.

The two began to scream and moan in agony; I watched as they writhed in pain and I began shaking.

It was my fault they were in this position now. I was the one to blame for their slow death. Hot tears began to trickle down my face.

The Joker once again approached me. He quickly cut the bindings and ripped me out of the seat and over his shoulder. He effortlessly carried me as he stalked back to the cell of a room he had kept me in before.

He flung me down into a corner and stormed out.

I curled up into myself and began to sob.

How had I ended up in this mess? There was no way he would just let me live now. I knew tomorrow might hold even worse horrors than tonight had; what would I do then?

My heavy tears fell around me.

I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in an effort to comfort myself.

I had to find a way to brave it through the rest of the night.


	8. Dive Right In

**Hey y'all! Hope everyone has had a fabulous week. Once again, I want to send warm thank yous to Leyshla Gisel, GoDrinkPinesol624, England101, ICan IWill, allthelovers, kykyxstandler, and .Chaos for reviewing the story! I love reading everyone's reviews and the give me so much encouragement. Keep it up! Also, in regard to the addition of Story Covers to the site, I was wondering if anyone had any cool ideas for a cover for this story? The feature hasn't been completed yet, but you can already upload images. I think it would be a super cool addition to the story but I'm not sure as to what the cover should look like. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know! As for this weeks chapter, I think it's time Daisy has a reunion with dear, old Batman. ;) Don't forget to review and let me know what you think about the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

I had sat tracing circles on my arm for what felt like hours when I heard yelling from outside the door.

My head jerked towards the door as the commotion drew closer. I didn't dare venture towards the door; if the Joker was behind it, all possible outcomes ended badly for me.

However, when the door burst open, I jumped back into the wall.

My body was once again shaking in fear.

But the person in the doorway wasn't the Joker. It took a moment for my confused mind to process that the man standing before me was none other than Batman.

"Daisy, you have to come with me now. I know you're scared, but it will all be over soon," his low and gravelly voice captivated me. I stood without hesitation and rushed to his side.

He held me under his arm as he rushed back into the fray. He weaved quickly around his enemies and towards the warehouse's exit.

As we moved, I noticed the disarray and confusion as the Joker's goons scrambled to try to attack Batman. None could even get close enough to make a move before Batman would weave to the other side or fling a gadget their way.

I wondered where the Joker was amidst this confusion. As a general rule, if there was chaos, the Joker was close by. However, I didn't see his face or hear his deranged laugh anywhere. I counted my blessings as Batman finally made his way out the door.

The cool night air against my dirty skin sent a shiver down my spine and shocked me back to reality.

"When I set you down run towards the Bat Mobile and climb in. I'll be following close behind," he whispered gently.

I nodded and he began to set me down.

As I took off sprinting, I was suddenly ecstatic I had run track in high school.

I made it to the car and dove into the passenger seat. As promised, Batman climbed into the driver's seat within a few moments later.

He started the car and zoomed down the road.

"Thank you for saving me," I murmured after we were a safe distance away from the warehouse.

I stared at the hard lines of his face and watched the corners of his mouth twist upward.

"I was just doing what needed to be done," he whispered back.

I sat in silence for a few moments before I began to ask the questions stirring in my mind.

"With all due respect, how did you find me? And more importantly, how did you know I was missing?" I had barely been gone for over a day; surely that wasn't a long enough time to track a missing person. When I watched missing person cases on TV it usually took over a week to find someone. That is if they were ever found at all. "Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that you did, I'm just extremely curious as to the circumstances."

His lips pursed. I supposed that most of the damsels he rescued weren't this inquisitive.

"Your friend you were at the club with reported you missing as soon as the first 24 hours were over. I got your name and physical description from the report file. As to how I found you, it's better if you don't know."

Satisfied with his answer, I quieted myself.

"I'm going to drop you off at the Gotham PD. Tell them you need to see Commissioner Gordon. I need you to tell him everything that happened while you were with the Joker. You can trust him," he calmly told me before pulling up to a curb. "This is your stop."

I hesitated before I leaned over towards the driver's seat. I extended my arms and wrapped Batman in a hug.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me tonight. You don't understand the horrors you helped me escape. Just… Thank you," I whispered into his ear. It was more than unorthodox but I had to let him know how grateful I was somehow.

As I pulled away, I noticed his crooked smile. It was nice to see him the slightest bit relaxed.

"Be careful tonight, Daisy."

With that, I slid out of the car and hurried into the Gotham PD.

I made my way towards the front desk to talk to a lady in uniform.

Her dark, brown hair was pulled neatly from her face. She offered me a polite smile as I approached.

"Uh, hi. I'm Daisy Parrish. I need to see Commissioner Gordon as soon as possible. It's very urgent." My voice was a little frantic as I thought of having to relive the night's events.

She noted my crazed and bedraggled appearance before replying.

"Okay, I'm just going to go ahead and take you down to his office. Follow me." She stood up and began walking down a hallway.

I quickly jumped to keep up with her.

She quickly rapped on a door on the left side of the hallway and proceeded to enter the room. I followed suit.

"Commissioner Gordon, this is Daisy Parrish. She says she has an urgent matter to attend to with you," the polite woman informed him before leaving.

"Hey there, Daisy. Just take a seat and let's get started." He gave me a friendly smile as he gestured to the seat.

After a bit of nervous apprehension, I sat.

"So, I know that you're the young girl who went missing the other night. Do you want to start by telling me who took you?"

* * *

After a long, strenuous, and unpleasant description of everything that had happened, Gordon offered to give me a ride back to my dorm.

Although I didn't trust him at first, he seemed like a really nice guy. He was very attentive to every detail of my story and genuine when he told me he was sorry for everything I had to go through.

We were cruising down towards the university when he asked me if I wanted some coffee.

"It's been a really long night for both me and you. I'm sure a little bit of coffee would help calm your nerves. I'll pay for it," he offered politely.

I nodded my head in approval.

He voted to go through the Starbucks drive through, rather than stop inside at a local place. I was grateful for that; I was afraid the Joker would pop out from under a table and say "Gotcha!" at any moment if we did that.

After ordering us to cappuccinos, he once again began to drive us back towards my dorm.

A few moments later, we were pulling up to my dorm.

"Daisy, I know these next few days are going to be difficult, but it's best to go out and be active. If you begin to readjust quickly, then it won't be so hard. If you have any problems at all, don't hesitate to come visit me at the office." He seemed legitimately concerned about my well being.

"Thank you so much for everything, Commissioner. I appreciate all you're doing to help me stabilize myself. I won't hesitate to call you if I get nervous about my situation." I thanked him once more and began to head back to my dorm room.

I knocked on the door so Rebecca would come let me in. The Joker still had my purse with my keys, ID, and phone. Commissioner Gordon had told me that his office would work on getting my things back as soon as possible so it wouldn't be an issue.

"Daisy! Thank God you're okay! Mom and I have been worried sick about whether or not you were okay," Rebecca exclaimed as she enveloped me in a bear hug.

"Yeah, I'm okay, just entirely exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. And I have so much to tell you."

"Okay, well you grab your stuff and go get a shower. Then when you come back, I can begin groveling in apology for leaving you alone at the club," she said.

"Don't worry about the club, it was my fault. I'll explain it all to you later." I grabbed my stuff and headed towards the shower room.

Never in my life had I been so happy to feel hot water on my skin. Each little droplet melted my pain away. In here I could forget about what had happened. In here I was a new person.

I found myself wishing the shower would never end. However, I knew I had a frantic Rebecca anxious to hear my story in the other room, so I tore myself away from the hot water that kept calling my name.

I put on a pair of comfy sweat pants and a tank top before heading back to our dorm.

It took a while to explain what happened with the Joker and in the end Rebecca didn't have much to say. She merely wrapped me in her arms and hugged me. I relaxed into her grasp and let my head rest on her shoulder as I returned the hug.

Comfort was what I really craved. Her hug allowed me to finally let loose all of my frustration. That night, she spent the night in my bed with me so I wouldn't have to feel alone.

She was a better friend than I could have ever asked for.

* * *

The next morning when I woke, Rebecca was already gone. She had left a note on the door saying she was headed to her Psychology class and would be back in an hour. I went to pick out an outfit when I noticed another note on my closet door.

"I'm sad our games got cut short, but don't worry – We'll be together again soon! Haha! – J"

I screamed before falling to the floor.

The Joker had been in my dorm last night.


	9. Hope That Nobody Knows

**Woot! This chapter is longer than usual! I've got a lot of great ideas rolling around my head, so expect a lot of new chapters soon. I'm glad this story has gotten so much positive reception so far. I want to thank ICan IWill, rawrobsessiveladypersona, GoDrinkPinesol624, Cheekymonkey97, Leyshla Gisel, and allthelovers for their encouraging reviews. I want to hear more feedback from everyone and how you feel about the story thus far. Remember to leave a review! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

When Rebecca entered the room, I was still sitting on the floor shaking and simultaneously dry heaving.

"Daisy, what happened? Are you okay?" She threw her bags to the ground as she rushed to my side.

I flinched at her touch.

I barely managed to pass her the Joker's note with my trembling hands. Why did I have to challenge him? If I hadn't ruined his little game, he would probably be leaving me alone. However, my morality had managed to screw that up. He took my decision as an affront to his power. There was no questioning that the Joker wanted me out of the picture at this point.

I heard Rebecca gasp as she finished reading the note.

"Where's the Commissioner's number? We have to call him," she breathed out.

I knew if Rebecca called him that she would be drug down into the situation. However, after considering the fact the Joker had been in our dorm over night, I figured she had most likely already been brought in. I hesitantly pointed to my dresser drawer where I had stored it the night before.

She stumbled over herself as she ran to grab it. After a few moments of sorting through the clutter, she let out a relieved sigh and pulled out her cell phone.

"Hi, Commissioner Gordon? This is Daisy's roommate Rebecca. We need to talk to you as soon as possible about the Joker; he may have been in our dorm last night." There was silence as Gordon spoke on the other line. "Yes sir, we'll be right down there," Rebecca replied before quickly hanging up.

"Come on; we have to head down to his office right now," she said quietly to me. She extended her hand out to lend a hand so I could lift myself from the ground. I sighed and allowed myself to be helped up.

"Thanks Rebecca… I am so sorry that I brought you into this." My voice was barely above a whisper.

"It's okay; I know you didn't mean to. Let's just deal with this one step at a time, okay?" She offered me a weak smile.

I nodded my head in agreement.

We both resorted to silence as we headed out and into our unknown future.

The tension in Gordon's office was thick enough to cut.

He had examined the note several times and was dumbfounded.

"This is typical of the Joker. He wants to toy with you until you break. Right now, I would say the dorms are not a suitable environment for either of you. You need to find somewhere safe that you can stay. Preferably with a friend; the Joker will be able to trace family easier," Commissioner Gordon told us in an official yet concerned tone.

"Yes sir. I'm sure we can find somewhere with one of my mom's friends," Rebecca said and I nodded in vigorous agreement.

"Thank you for all you've done for us, Commissioner," I thanked him once again.

"Don't worry about it. You two just keep yourselves safe, okay? In the meantime, my men and I will be doing everything we can to catch the Joker and end this madness," he assured me.

Rebecca gave him her thanks and we headed off to go inform her mom of our predicament.

The journey to Wayne Enterprises felt like it took a lifetime. Every horn honk and loud noise caused me to have a minor panic attack. Everything had a way of reminding me of the Joker and the uncertainty of my future.

The revolving door at the front of Wayne Tower was the most welcoming sight of my life. I rushed in as quickly as possible to escape the outside world.

"Laura, no time to talk; we have to see my mom immediately," Rebecca yelled as she pulled me towards the elevators.

"Okay, but she's in a meeti-!" The rest of Laura's sentence was cut off by the elevator doors closing.

Rebecca marched with determination into her mom's office.

"Mom, I know you're in a meeting but this is far more important." Her voice was stern and commanding.

"Rebecca! I am in the middle of a meeting with Mr. Wayne! You cannot just barge in here with your friend and demand my full attention. I am so sorry for the impertinence of my daughter, Bruce," Mrs. Bryant apologized to Mr. Wayne with a look of absolute mortification on her face.

Bruce turned to us with a kind smile on his face and opened his mouth to speak, but Rebecca cut him off.

"No, Mom! Daisy is being stalked by the Joker; I'm thinking that's a little bit more urgent than funding issues!" She screeched at her mom.

I cringed at the loud noise.

Mrs. Bryant's jaw dropped at the news.

"Yeah, a little bit more important, huh? Anyway, he came into our room last night so now I'm at risk, too. Commissioner Gordon told us we need to find a place to stay with friend's rather than family. You should probably stay with us or your life might be at risk also. Have any ideas as to where we can go?" Rebecca finished her tirade in a much softer voice.

"Oh- Oh my God, this cannot be happening. Bruce, I think maybe you should leave while we try to sort this out."

Bruce stayed firmly rooted to his seat. "I'd rather not, Lucy. I want to do whatever I can to help your daughter and her friend. If you need a place to stay, my manor has plenty of room for the three of you," he said and made eye contact with all three of us to show his sincerity.

"I really don't want to put you on the spot like that, Bruce. You've already helped my family so much; I don't want to impose on you." Mrs. Bryant sounded exhausted.

"No, I insist that you stay with me. I'll call Alfred and inform him that I need three of the guest rooms made up." He paused and stood to begin scribbling on a note pad on the desk. "Rebecca, you and your friend can head on over to my house and get comfortable." He ripped the piece of paper and handed Rebecca a slip with an address on it. "Be very careful. Now if you will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make." Mr. Wayne nodded to Mrs. Bryant and headed out into the hallway.

"Rebecca, I'll stop by the house and grab some of your clothes after work. In the meantime, the two of you keep yourselves safe and mind your manners around Alfred. This is all going to turn out okay; we just need to have faith. Batman will stop the Joker before he can bring you any more harm, Daisy." Mrs. Bryant gave me a firm look and advised us to head on out to Wayne Manor.

The cab driver looked incredulously at Mr. Wayne's mansion as we pulled up.

"This is your stop, seriously?" He exclaimed

Rebecca merely nodded. She handed him his fee through the window and began to scoot out of the car. I quickly followed.

The manor was incredible and huge. How one man could live in that house alone, I had no idea. I stared for a moment in disbelief before Rebecca told me to just hurry up and follow her.

She rang the doorbell once and we were quickly greeted by the friendly face of the man I presumed to be Alfred.

"Rebecca, the last time I saw you, you were a little girl!" He exclaimed joyfully as he hugged her.

"Alfred, it's been ages! I've missed you so much!" Rebecca giggled as she smiled warmly at him. She stepped back and motioned to me. "Alfred, this is my friend Daisy."

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." I smiled gratefully at him and extended my hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you, also." He smiled at me and returned my hand shake. "If the two of you will come this way, I will gladly show you to your rooms."

We followed him down a lot of confusing hallways before he finally opened a door.

"Ms. Rebecca, this is where you will be staying. I turned down the sheets for you and the remote for the TV is in the drawer. Ms. Daisy, if you will follow me, your room is right next door." Rebecca thanked Alfred and collapsed on her bed mumbling something about a nap.

I followed Alfred to the next room.

"Now, this is your room. In that corner is your closet and to the left is your bathroom. The remote for the TV is in the dresser drawer next to the bed." He smiled warmly at me.

"Thank you for this, Alfred. Mr. Wayne is a very generous man for letting us stay here, and I appreciate everything y'all are doing." I reached forward and gave him a big hug. I hadn't known him very long, but it just seemed appropriate and Alfred reminded me of a very huggable man. He seemed startled at first, but then he relaxed and hugged me back. He could sense my exasperation.

"Master Wayne has a big heart, Daisy. Helping you is no trouble at all to us. In fact, the presence of three women in here will do us good. Now, is there anything I can get you?" He comfortingly patted my back.

"Would you mind taking me to the kitchen? I think I could really use a glass of water." I felt a little awkward asking him. I hated asking people for things in their home; it made me feel like an intruder.

"Of course you can; follow me."

Alfred and I had been sitting in the kitchen for over two hours sharing stories, laughing, and getting to know each other. He made me feel like I was safely back home Georgia. He was a genuinely nice man and positively friendly. It was the most comfortable I had felt since my arrival in Gotham. We had just begun discussing my fascination with thinking I was a superhero when I was little, when Mr. Wayne came home.

He walked into the kitchen with his head down and began to take off his coat. "Alfred, did the girls get settled in fine? I was worried that they wouldn't-," He stopped mid sentence as he realized that he wasn't alone with Alfred. "Oh, Daisy, I didn't realize you were with us. I trust your transition here was smooth? Alfred didn't give you a hard time, did he?" He gave me an indecipherable look and I blushed under his scrutiny.

"Uhm, yes, everything went great. Alfred has been unbelievably kind. Thank you again for helping us, Mr. Wayne." I responded politely.

"Please, call me Bruce," he said and gave a small smile. There was something familiar to the action, but I couldn't wrap my mind around what.

"Oh, sure… of course."

Bruce nodded and turned his attentions towards Alfred. "Alfred, why don't you order us some pizza? I'm sure some good old fashion junk food would do us all good."

"Sure thing, Master Wayne. I'll get right on it," Alfred replied and quickly left the room.

I was left alone under the puzzled gaze of Bruce Wayne.


	10. Total Paranoia

**Hooray for making it into double digits! Like I said, I have a lot of ideas stirring around in my head, so updates are going to be coming regularly. I want to thank everyone who has subscribed or favorited the story recently. As always, a special thanks goes to ICan IWill, kykyxstandler, allthelovers, Cheekymonkey97, KatieMarrie, and GoDrinkPinesol624 for leaving such kind reviews! To answer allthelover's question, I do not plan on writing from the Joker's point of view anytime soon. I'm too nervous his thoughts and actions will be to out of character if I write them. Maybe after I get some more practice I'll have a swing at it. If anyone has an idea for a story cover, please PM me or tell me about it in your review! Please remember to leave a review telling me what you think about the story so far. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

Bruce poured himself a glass of water and sat down across from me at the table.

"So, what do you think of my home?" Bruce asked me with a kind smile on his face.

"Oh, it's absolutely lovely here. Have you lived here your whole life?" I tried to keep the conversation friendly. If I could keep my mind off of the Joker through simple chit-chat, by God I was going to chit-chat.

"Yes, my parents left it to me before they passed on." His voice turned somber as he cast his eyes downward. At once I felt terrible for having brought up the subject.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bruce. I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject." My apology was heartfelt, but I knew it probably wasn't what he wanted to hear. I knew that I personally hated when people patronized me when they found out about my family's car crash.

"Yeah, it's fine; you didn't know."

I considered telling him about my family, but I figured now wasn't the time or place.

I began to speak again, but as soon as I opened my mouth, the doorbell rang.

"That must be Lucy. If you'll excuse me," he trailed off as he walked off to receive Mrs. Bryant.

I sat awkwardly in the kitchen as Mrs. Bryant bustled in.

"Daisy, I brought some of Rebecca's clothes for you; I hope they fit. Now where's my daughter?" Her words were short and clipped as if I were the last person she wanted to be talking to.

I pointed off towards the hallway and informed her that Rebecca was in a guest room a few doors down.

She nodded and brusquely walked off.

Bruce stood in the door frame with a discomfited look on his face. I was sure that Mrs. Bryant's attitude towards me was what upset him.

"I think I'm going to head to my room to clean up a little before dinner. The pizza should be delivered any minute." He gave me another small smile and left without another word.

I sighed to myself. I figured I should probably fix my haggard appearance, too.

I dreaded leaving my comfy spot in the kitchen, but I knew I had to.

Once I had retreated to my room, I heard arguing coming from the next room.

"Rebecca, I don't care if she's your friend; she's bad news. Only been in Gotham for barely a week and she's managed to attract the Joker as a stalker! It's unhealthy for you to be friends with her," Mrs. Bryant sternly told her daughter.

"But Mom, we can't just abandon her! Where would she go and who would protect her?" Rebecca pleaded with her mom.

"I don't know, sweetie, but it's not our problem. I'm not risking your life for some girl we barely know."

"I'm not going to leave her. You're just going to have to deal with it Mom."

I tried hard to choke back the tears I could feel forming. I knew I was a burden on their family, but I didn't realize Mrs. Bryant felt that way. She was right though, being with them brought all of their lives into risk. I had to leave this place and these people.

I trudged into the bathroom.

There were thick black blotches around my eyes from where the tears had started to fall. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to wipe away the smudges with some toilet paper. I had managed to get the makeup off, but my eyes were still red and swollen. As I massaged my temples in an effort to calm down, I heard a light knock on my door.

I hurriedly went to answer.

Outside stood Alfred with a smile on his face.

"I just wanted to let you know that dinner is downstairs on the table. Rebecca and Mrs. Bryant are already downstairs." His smile fell as he observed my face. "Daisy, what's happened? Do you feel alright?" His concern caused his face to contort with emotion.

"Alfred, I have to leave here." My voice was breathy as I tried to control myself from sobbing. "I can't bring any harm to you people. You don't deserve this. If I stay, the Joker will find us eventually and hurt you. I have to leave."

Alfred pulled me into a hug.

"You are not going anywhere. You're in a house with people who care about you and we are here to protect you. Going back into Gotham is an incredibly stupid idea. The Joker will find you as soon as you set foot in the street. You don't have a safer place to be than here. Stay with us." He smoothed my hair as he whispered the words consolingly to me. I relaxed into his hug.

He stood with me like that until my breathing had steadied and the tears stopped flowing.

"I'm sorry Alfred; it's just that this whole situation is making me crazy. I don't want any of you to be harmed. I would never forgive myself if something happened."

"I understand, but at least stay with us for a few days. You need to rest and get yourself back on your feet. Then you can worry about taking back to Gotham." He smiled once more at me and whipped one last tear from my face.

I relented and nodded.

"Good, now let's go eat some supper," he cheerily added.

* * *

There was a silent tension at the dinner. Bruce and Alfred made mindless chatter and tried to draw us into their conversation. However, any time I would begin to interject, Mrs. Bryant's cold glare would stop me. Rebecca joined in heartily and brought a little bit of peace into the dinner.

Once we had finished, Bruce suggested we all get some rest after the day's trying events.

Mrs. Bryant agreed, saying it was a wonderful idea, and she and Rebecca headed off to their respective rooms.

I stayed behind and offered to help Alfred with the dishes, but he insisted that he handle it all himself.

I thanked him and Bruce again for their hospitality and headed off for my own room.

* * *

I tried to sleep but every single time I closed my lids, I felt the Joker's eyes boring into me. I jolted up with a start, but quickly realized I was entirely alone.

When after an hour I still wasn't asleep, I resorted to restlessly roaming the halls.

Wayne Manor was enormous. I had been walking for quite some time when I realized I was lost.

"Well, poop. What am I supposed to do now?" I quietly spoke to myself.

As I began to turn around I swore I saw a shadow move in the corner of my eye.

I let out a frantic gasp as I turned and headed back the way I came. At the next hallway's intersection I could remember which way I had come. My body jerked around and I made the hasty decision to turn right. I stumbled over my feet and turned to see if the shadow had followed me. When I turned my head back around I ran into what felt like a brick wall. I looked up to see Bruce staring at me with a puzzled look on his face. I let out a surprised yelp.

"Daisy..? What are you doing on this side of the house?" He asked me in a very confused voice.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to do a little exploring. Then I thought I saw someone and I got nervous so I started running back the way I came," I admitted sheepishly.

"Well, you're safe now; I promise." He smiled as he spoke. "How about you and I go to the living room and I'll make us some coffee?" He offered.

"That would be really great Bruce." I smiled sweetly back at him.

He extended his hand to me and flashed a crooked smile. There was something very comforting and familiar in the look on his face. Whatever it was made me feel incredibly safe.

I graciously took his hand and he began to lead me back to known territory.

After walking through numerous unfamiliar hallways, we somehow ended up in the living room near the Kitchen.

He patted a seat on his leather sofa and I went to sit down.

"I'll be right back with our coffee."

As I waited for him to return, I drew my knees up to my chest and thought about Bruce. Something about him was very different. He was so kind, but there was this strange twinge to his personality. It was like he was always on his guard as if the world would attack him at any given moment. Odd as it was, I found it kind of attractive. Of course, I think it would have been impossible to find Bruce Wayne unattractive. His tall, built physique and chiseled features set him apart from ordinary people. Not to mention his dark hair and eyes that had an unusual glow to them. He was quite the creature to behold.

I blushed as I heard Bruce reenter the room. He handed me my cup of coffee before grabbing a blanket and returning to join me on the couch.

He offered me part of the blanket and I gratefully grabbed hold of an end to cover myself with.

"Daisy, you don't have anything to fear here. I swear I will do everything to keep you protected from that madman. You don't need to be afraid of shadows in the hall; he won't get you as long as you're with me, I promise." He spoke softly and earnestly to me.

"I want so desperately to believe you Bruce, but you have to understand that I don't think I will ever be safe. The Joker wants me dead and he's not going to leave me alone until I'm six feet under." My voice became I little frantic as I tried to explain the situation to Bruce.

"Shhh, Daisy, it's okay. Nothing's going to harm you. It's just you and me." As he spoke, he extended his arms around me and began to stroke the sides of my arm in an effort to calm me down.

He cooed in my ear and spoke reassurances to me. I felt myself relax into his body. After I had calmed down, he remained with his arms around me. I found myself nuzzling into his shoulder as he stroked my back.

I leaned up to look at the wonder named Bruce Wayne.

He met my gaze steadily and a smile formed on his face. Before I could process what was even happening, he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine in a chaste kiss. I smiled and blushed as he pulled away.

"Go to sleep Daisy; you need the rest," he whispered to me.

I closed my eyes and laid my head back down on his shoulder.

I drifted into the most peaceful sleep I had had in quite a long time.


	11. As You Sleep

**Hey everyone! Today's update is slightly longer than usually and I really enjoyed writing it. I think it's high time the Joker makes his presence known ;) I want to send special thanks to kykyxstandler, Leyshla Gisel, Cheekymonkey97, GoDrinkPinesol624, and ICan IWill for writing reviews. A very special shoutout, however, goes to ICan IWill who has offered to make a cover for the story! Words cannot even describe how excited I am about that. Please remember to leave a review telling me what you think of the story and how you think I can improve! That being said, I hope you enjoy tonight's chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

When I awoke the next morning, I had been safely returned back to my bedroom.

I sighed with content as I stretched out. Last night had been… different, but you certainly wouldn't see me complaining. I felt a warm blush rise to my cheeks as I thought of Bruce. His lips had been so soft against mine; it seemed a little odd for a character like him.

My thought process was clipped short by the smell of bacon wafting through my door.

I glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed. 9:30 already?

I forced myself to leave the warmth of the bed so I could follow the scent back to the kitchen.

Once there, I noticed Mrs. Bryant was already seated and sipping a cup of coffee. Rebecca was nowhere to be seen; I figured she was probably still asleep.

"Morning." I alerted everyone of my presence before I sat down at the table.

"Morning Daisy, would you like some eggs and bacon?" Alfred politely offered.

"Sure thing Alfred," I responded in a chipper tone and took a seat at the table.

Mrs. Bryant gave a slight nod to acknowledge my presence. She was still in her pajamas so I assumed she didn't have to go into the office today.

We sat in silence as we listened to the sizzling of the bacon until Bruce emerged from the hall.

His hair was slightly askew and his pajamas wrinkled. He yawned and gave me a sleepy smile after meeting my eyes. A warm blush colored my cheeks as I tilted my head down with a smile. Mrs. Bryant eyed us suspiciously before beginning idle chit chat with Bruce.

Alfred placed a plate in front of me, loaded with delicious looking food. He handed me a napkin and fork before placing a glass of water on the table for me. I thanked him and began to dig in.

It was the best meal I'd had in days. You could taste the care and love Alfred had put in while preparing it. That man was truly extraordinary.

Rebecca entered the room a few minutes later, fully clothed. She stared at me with a worried look on her face.

"Daisy, you probably need to go get dressed. We need to get back to the university for our Calculus class. If you aren't feeling up to it, I understand, but I'm going to go anyway."

Shit. I had forgotten entirely about my classes.

"No, I want to go with you. Just give me a moment so I can put on some more suitable clothes."

I quickly stood up and thanked Alfred before rushing to my room to get dressed.

After much debate, I decided to just throw on a pair of Rebecca's old shorts and a graphic tee. The clothes surprisingly fit well, with the exception that the shorts were a little too small. I was lucky that their tightness wasn't too noticeable.

Only then did I realize that all of my books and school things were still in our dorm. I dreaded having to go back there, but I realized that I wasn't going to be able to do any work without them. Anyway, I needed some clothes that would fit me right. It couldn't be too much of an issue to quickly grab my stuff and get out.

When I made it back to the kitchen, Alfred told me that he was going to drive me and Rebecca back to the school.

* * *

After Alfred had dropped us off, I grabbed at Rebecca's wrist.

"Hey, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to, but I really need to go back to our dorm to grab some stuff," I trailed off as I noticed her concerned face.

"I'll go with you; I don't think you should be left alone while all of this is going on," she replied softly.

I nodded and we made our way up to the room.

When we opened the door I gasped in horror.

While we were gone, someone had ransacked our dorm. Clothes were strewn about and the sheets were ripped off of the beds. Our desks were completely out of kilter and some of our trinkets were lying on the ground.

"Rebecca, do you think he was back?" I whispered, frightened to hear her answer.

She nodded her head slowly.

I sighed; he wasn't here now, so I just needed to grab my stuff and then we could go.

I pulled some of the clothes off of the floor and loaded them into the backpack I had stored in the closet. I threw in my laptop and all of my books before turning to leave.

"Let's go; I can't stand to be in here one more second," Rebecca urged me.

I merely shut off the light and began to follow her to the lecture hall.

Our professor was a short, old woman named Cathy Landry. Her dull, monotonous voice had a majority of the class drooling after 10 minutes. I couldn't help but zone out and begin to doodle all over my notebook. Rebecca tried to remain focused, but after about 20 minutes her eyes had begun to shut and she had drifted out of consciousness.

Class droned on for an hour and half before the professor finally dismissed us. Rebecca called Alfred and we lazed about campus until he arrived to fetch us.

The rest of our afternoon was uneventful. Much to my dismay, Bruce was nowhere to be found around the house. Mrs. Bryant and Rebecca spent most of their day on their laptops in the living room. Bored out of my mind, I offered to help Alfred make dinner.

"Well, I'm not quite sure what we're going to prepare yet, but you can certainly help if you want to." His kind smile never failed to put me at ease; it gave me a wonderful idea for dinner.

"Alfred, would it be okay if we had a traditional southern dish tonight? I'm craving some southern comfort food and my Aunt Sam has the best recipes," I asked him nervously.

"Well that sounds wonderful, why don't you call her up?" he offered.

I realized then that I hadn't called my aunt since the day I had arrived. I wave of guilt washed over me as I left the room to make the call.

The two of us talked for a good half hour, before she finally let me go. I had managed to get a good shrimp and grits recipe, directions for preparing the collared greens, and tips on making one of her delicious apple pies. I conveniently forgot to mention all the Joker nonsense to her; there was no use in getting her worried.

After I told Alfred what we needed, he ran me out to the store and gave me a credit card to get whatever was necessary.

The two of us spent a little over an hour and a half in the kitchen preparing all of the food, laughing and having a good time. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked Alfred. He took on a sort of father figure for me, which was what I really needed right now. I felt like I could trust him with any of my dramas and secrets. He was just such a personable man.

Our food was ready just a little before 6:30.

"What perfect timing we had and it all smells delicious," Alfred thoughtfully complimented our work. "Is your sweet tea cool enough to serve yet?"

"Yep, everything should be set and ready for us to enjoy!" I was delighted that our meal had turned out so well. The smells emanating in the kitchen brought a gentle peace to my soul. It smelt just like when my mom would make Sunday dinner for us before the crash. "Let me set the table really quickly and you can gather everyone up to dine."

Alfred nodded, before heading out to retrieve everyone.

I had just finished filling everyone's plates when Bruce walked in. He took a long sniff of the air before grinning. "Did you make dinner tonight?" he asked.

"With Alfred's help, yes," I responded with a beaming smile.

"It smells delicious," he offered.

I whispered thanks and told him to pull up a seat.

I began setting down the plates as Alfred returned with Rebecca and her mom.

"This is Daisy's special meal she's prepared for as all. Trying to cure a little homesickness, I suppose." Alfred informed them with a chuckle.

"What exactly is it?" Mrs. Bryant asked with a questioning look at the food.

"It's shrimp and grits, with collared greens, the drink is sweet tea, and for dessert I made an apple pie," I excitedly gushed.

"Looks delicious," Rebecca approved with a smile.

We all took a seat and began to dig in.

After everyone else had taken a bite and seemed to enjoy it, Mrs. Bryant finally gave in and tried a small spoonful.

After a prolonged moment, her eyes widened.

"Oh my God, this is absolutely delicious, Daisy!" she gushed.

"I'm glad you like it Mrs. Bryant," I responded.

The rest of dinner was spent laughing and telling stories. I seemed to have broken Mrs. Bryant's stony attitude with a little comfort food. I couldn't help but entirely satisfied with the drastic change my cooking had caused. Southern meals had a magical way of bringing people together.

We lounged about the living room after dinner, enjoying each other's company before I decided it was probably time for me to hit the hay.

Bruce politely offered to walk me to my room, and I graciously accepted.

When we arrived to my bedroom, Bruce paused.

"Dinner tonight was wonderful, you're an excellent cook," he complimented me.

I felt my face flush at his words.

"Thanks Bruce," I accepted his compliment shyly.

"I'm really enjoying having you here," he said coyly.

"I'm really enjoying staying here," I countered.

"Good," he quickly replied. "I hope you sleep well tonight." He leaned down before I could respond and planted a soft kiss on my lips. I smiled and kissed him back. He pulled away before things could get to serious. "Good night, Daisy."

"Night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite," I teased before opening my door to leave him.

He let out a small chuckle before walking off.

I sighed in reverence of how wonderful my night had been. It seemed like things were finally looking up.

I changed into my pjs and cast a glance out my window before curling into bed.

I had barely been asleep and hour when a loud noise at my window woke me up. I was startled and quickly stood to examine the cause. Outside my window there was a rock next to a flower.

Puzzled, I opened the window and grabbed the large flower I identified as a Gerber Daisy.

I examined it for a moment and found a little note attached to the stem with string.

My heart began to race as I observed the all too familiar handwriting.

"You can run, but you most certainly cannot hide from me, little Daisy. Can't wait to see you again soon! – xxx J" it read.

I gasped in horror and stumbled backwards into my bed.

How had the Joker found me already? And why did he sign my note with kisses?

I began to rush out the door to tell Bruce and then I quickly stopped.

Bruce had looked so tired today, it would have been cruel to wake him up from his slumber; the note could wait until morning.

I lay in my bed and tossed and turned fitfully until the sun began to rise.

Time to ruin everyone's day.


	12. My Only Hope's to See You

**Much thanks to Leyshla Gisel, kykyxstandler, and PrincessYouKnow for leaving reviews. I appreciate everyone's input and would be delighted to hear from more people about what they think about the story and what they think should happen! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

I walked to the kitchen where I assumed Bruce and everyone else would be. However, when I got there he was nowhere to be found. Alfred was at the stove scrambling eggs and humming a tune to himself.

"Alfred, where's Bruce?" I asked, slightly worried.

"Oh, don't worry Miss Daisy; he got an urgent call from work early this morning and rushed off to go fix the problem with Mr. Fox," he said with a chipper smile.

I sighed in aggravation. Of course he wasn't here when I needed him the most. Figures.

"Okay, well if you hear from him, would you tell him I really need to talk to him?" I tried to hide my frustration.

I was scared. The Joker knew where I was hiding; how did he find that out so quickly? It made me nervous to even think about how he found me. As much as I wanted to tell Alfred everything, I didn't want to freak him out. Plus, I really needed to go to my Psychology course; I had already missed the first class when I was trying to recover from my last encounter with the Joker. If I wanted to keep my scholarship I had to man up and make it in to class. I tried to put the Joker as far from my mind as possible as I got dressed and ready to go. I sighed and headed to Rebecca's room to get her so we could go.

I knocked quickly before entering her room. She was still asleep in her bed. I quietly crept towards her and gave her shoulder a light tap.

"Rebecca, are you going to come to psychology today? If we don't leave soon then we're going to be late," I quietly informed her.

She groaned a little before rolling over.

"I'm not feeling so well today… can you go without me? I think I need a few more hours of sleep." Her voice was raspy from sleep.

I nodded my head.

"Okay, you just go back to sleep darling. You just worry about getting better." I forced myself to be cheery and flash a smile before leaving to find Alfred.

Alfred was very reluctant to let me go to class by myself, but I needed to get out of that house. Every time I turned, it seemed like I could feel the Joker's eyes burning into me. I told Alfred that I really needed something to occupy my mind; he finally relented and went to grab the car keys.

Alfred and I were both unusually quiet during the car ride.

I could sense something was bothering him, but currently I couldn't bring myself to talk about anything. I feared that if I opened my mouth I would blurt out everything about the Joker's note.

Likewise, Alfred didn't try to make cheery side conversation like he usually did. Something was definitely up.

"Well, we're here. Call me as soon as you get done."

I nodded and hopped out of the car quickly. I had barely shut the door before Alfred began to speed off. I frowned to myself. Had I done something? I hoped not; Alfred was one of the few people I could trust here. I didn't want to mess that up.

I sighed and began walking to my class.

Once inside, I realized how crowded the lecture hall really was. I scanned the crowd for any empty seat anywhere.

I spotted one in the far back next to a boy with his head down. I trotted to the seat and politely asked if it was taken. The boy made no response so I sat down and shrugged my shoulders.

I reached into my backpack to grab my notebook and managed to let all of my papers slip out. I pursed my lips in frustration and groaned.

Today was really just not my day.

As I began to bend over to retrieve my things, I was stunned to see the boy sitting next to me had already started to pick them up.

"All that stress doesn't seem too healthy," his smooth voice rang out.

I let out a strained laugh. "Yeah, well, I've had one hell of a week." I realized how rude my clipped tone sounded immediately after I stopped talking. My face fell. "I'm sorry, that was rude. Thank you for helping me with my things," I apologized softly.

He sat back up and handed me my things. He tilted his head up, gave me a tight smile and met my eyes. I let out a tiny gasp at how striking his blue eyes were. They seemed so cold and tantalizing. I felt him analyzing my every movement and dropped my eye contact.

"It's quite alright. It happens to everyone eventually." His voice was smooth and low, almost hypnotic.

Just as I flashed him a smile and began to speak, I was stopped by the professor's voice starting the lesson.

As the class went on, I found myself incredibly drawn in to the discussion on dreams and cognitive behavior. At one point I heard the boy next to me let out a slight scoff.

"That's wrong," he said seemingly to himself. I watched him cringe as the professor began to elaborate on the idea. He twitched a little before his hand shot into the air.

The professor looked startled for a moment, before acknowledging that the boy had something to say.

"I'm sorry Professor Simmons, but you have this topic incredibly wrong."

I watched Professor Simmons' face contort in slight resentment. "Oh really, Dr. Crane? Do you care to finish this lesson then?" his voice called back angrily.

Wait, did he say doctor? If this guy was a doctor, why on Earth was he hanging around in this class room?

"If you insist," Dr. Crane responded with a smirk and began scooting his way out of the row.

I watched him stroll to the front of the classroom with shock on my face.

He approached and replaced Professor Simmons' at the podium. He began to talk about Freud's theories on dreaming and repression of thoughts. I watched Professor Simmons, still steaming from being corrected, as he stood up when Crane finished and yelled that class was dismissed.

Dr. Crane held that tight smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall and waited for the lecture hall to empty. He waved at Professor Simmons, who then proceeded to storm out the door.

I slowly approached him.

"So you're a doctor?" I inquisitively asked.

He looked slightly annoyed, but he nodded in reply.

"Then why are you here in this class?" I continued.

"My, my, my; quite the curious one, aren't you? Well if you must know, I enjoy sitting in on lessons to examine students and find ones with enough competence to intern at the asylum," he said in a slightly mocking tone.

I merely nodded and began to make my way off. I wasn't going to waste any more time trying to talk to someone so egotistical. Besides, I needed to call Alfred.

I could feel his cold eyes watching me as I exited the building.

I started to reach for my cell phone when I realized that it was still in Joker's possession. I groaned once more as I realized I would have to find a pay phone.

I walked around the campus for a while but couldn't manage to find one anywhere. I grudgingly took towards the streets to continue my search. I found one in front of a tiny café. I scrounged up some pocket change and dialed the house. I told Alfred the name of the café and that I would be waiting inside.

I decided to grab a cookie and a water bottle to occupy myself with while I waited for my ride. I thanked the cashier and sat down to indulge in an oatmeal raison cookie. They had been my favorite since I was a little girl.

As I nibbled, childhood memories flooded my mind: playing games with Amelia and Grandma in the back yard, baking cookies with Daddy, when Mommy would take us out for a special treat to go to the movies. Thinking about how happy we used to be brought a small smile to my face. I missed them so much. In my dazed state, I failed to notice that someone had sat down across from me in my tiny booth.

"Well hello there sweetheart; I didn't expect to run into you here."

I jumped as I snapped out of my reverie. I began to gasp as I recognized the Joker's naked face; I was cut off by his hand covering my mouth quickly.

"Shhh! You'll spoil my fun! Just hear me out for a second, got it?" He calmly asked me. I nodded and he dropped his hand.

We sat silently for a moment as our eyes locked onto each other.

I felt a shiver run down my eyes at our magnetic eye contact. It was then that I realized how beautiful his eyes truly were. From a distance they looked like black pits, but when examined further you could see their deep green tint. It was mesmerizing.

I finally lowered my eyes to break his spell over me.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you… yet," he snickered as he spoke. "I just wanted to stop and say hi." His tone let me know that there was more to the story than just that.

"What do you want, Joker?" I asked in frustration.

"Why darling Daisy, isn't it obvious?" He giggled and sighed. "I want you."

I started to respond with a snippy remark.

"Ah, look, I gotta go. You're, uh, "old man" thing just showed up. I'll be seeing you soon." He abruptly stood up and began to walk towards the back exit. Before leaving he flashed me a lazy wink. I felt the unwanted blush creep onto my face. That blush shouldn't be there; the Joker shouldn't be making me blush like that. I grew even more frustrated with myself as I stormed out towards where Alfred was waiting.

I threw open the door and sat down with a huff.

"Is everything alright?" Alfred asked curiously. I saw his worried look in the mirror.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

"Everything's peachy Alfred. I just can't believe how outrageous the cost of a cookie is in this city!" I exclaimed with a laugh.

He laughed too and played along with me. I assumed he probably realized I didn't want to talk about it and left it alone.

I stared out the window as we continued to drive. I felt my eyes puffing up as I thought about Bruce guiltily.

What was wrong with me? I had gotten just as flustered with the Joker as I had with Bruce.

Bruce was such a good guy; completely sweet and kind. And then there was the psychotic Joker; merciless and scary. Yet I found an equally compelling pull towards both of them. I couldn't tell if it was just curiosity with the Joker, or if I actually found some sick part of him attractive. Either way, I felt myself sinking into a pit of uncertainty.

Life just had a way of screwing me over, didn't it?

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	13. The Strange Will Walk Alone

**Absolutely thrilled about the positive feedback on Crane! I plan on including him a lot more later on in the story. Much thanks (as always) to England101, ICan IWill, Eva Sirico, Leyshla Gisel, kykyxstandler, Wishing for Dreams, and allthelovers for their absolutely swonderful reviews! I'm thinking about moving this little informative tidbit to the bottom of the story... what do you think? Don't forget to leave a review on what you think about the story and how I can improve it!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.  
**

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I pushed my food around on my plate. It had been a day since my run in with the Joker in the café and I still hadn't seen any sign of Bruce. I felt so alone as I tried to enjoy the salad I had made myself for lunch. Rebecca had a terrible stomach bug and was confined to her room, Mrs. Bryant was off working, and Alfred's mind was occupied by more important things than comforting me. Any time I asked him for details on where Bruce was, he said he was working. I tried to grab at an opportunity to see him by offering to take Bruce some lunch, but Alfred stopped me and said that Bruce was in a lot of very important meetings today and wouldn't have the time. I finally gave up and resigned myself to finding my own source of entertainment.

I had been lazing around the kitchen finding idle tasks for myself for a little over an hour and thought I would go crazy if I sat in the kitchen any longer.

I decided a walk was probably the best route to go. This was a safe area of town, and if I left a note, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. I scrawled Alfred a quick note saying where I went and hurried out before I could change my mind.

I scurried away from Wayne Manor and took off to my left.

My mind zoned out as I thought about Bruce.

Where was he? Surely he would have come to say goodnight to me if he had come home last night. He knew I would be worrying. But then again, maybe he was too stressed to stop by. He had seemed pretty out of sorts the day before. I just wished he would hurry home. I really needed to tell him about the Joker's note.

The Joker.

I felt a flush color my cheeks as my train of thought shifted to focus on him. As crazy as he was, when I saw him without make up in the café, it reminded me of how human he really was. Behind his façade, there was a person in him; a person who had to have feelings and emotion. I had seen him kill mercilessly, but what if there was more to it than his crazed desire to wreak havoc to Gotham. Something had to have made him this way. Something had to make him feel some form of remorse for what he did. He couldn't just be totally out of control; he hadn't killed me after all. He'd had more than enough opportunities to off me, so what was stopping him? Part of me wanted to hit myself for thinking so heavily on the topic, but the other part of me was too drawn in to stop.

Without even realizing it, I walked straight into someone. I stumbled a little, before regaining my footing.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry! I didn't even see you there," I began as I started to turn around.

I felt hands wrap around me and pick me up. I immediately began to struggle against my captor.

"You just made my, uh, job a whole lot easier," the Joker's familiar voice breathed into my ear.

Well, this was just dandy. Think of the devil and the devil shall appear.

I was really not in the mood to be taken again.

"Joker, put me down," I hissed as venomously as possible.

"You know, I really like it when you fight. I don't think I'm going to put you down just yet… I've got a, uh, better idea for the two of us," his mocking voice whispered.

I let out an exasperated sigh as he began to tote me off. I was getting really sick of his antics.

"You know, Joker, this is really getting old. For the past week, every time things start to look up, you show up and either threaten me, kidnap me, or intimidate me. Can't we just, you know, move on?" I couldn't control myself. I was just so fed up with all of his hullabaloo and I wanted him to know it.

I let out a yelp as I was abruptly dropped to the ground. I hit the pavement with a loud thud. I rubbed my butt in pain.

"You're right. This is getting old," He paused to pull me to my feet and gripped me close to him. I heard his knife flick open and my heart started racing. "Maybe I should just kill you right now," he trailed off with a malicious glint in his eyes. I could hear my heart pumping. The Joker was so serious now. The blade began to dig into my skin and my body stood absolutely paralyzed in fear. He began to lean in closer when his eyes suddenly flickered to the side. "But you know, I don't think I will. Let's reschedule our little, uh, "rendezvous" for another time, eh, dollface?"

I had no time to respond before he let me drop back to the ground and darted off to the side.

He had vanished before I had even regained my senses.

I stood up and dusted myself off, looking around nervously. What had made him run off that quickly? Then I saw Alfred driving towards where I was standing. He slowed down as he rode up to wear I was standing and rolled down the window.

"Miss Daisy? What are you doing out here?" he asked with his voice full of concern.

"Oh, I guess you didn't see my note. I was just out for a walk. Where are you headed?" I tried to stay as calm as I could.

"Well, I'm actually on my way to pick up Master Wayne if you would like to accompany me."

"That would be great Alfred!" I hopped in the back seat quickly. Finally I was going to be able to talk to Bruce. It felt like it had been ages since we had talked and I was in desperate need of his advice on the whole Joker situation.

We rode in silence as we made our way to Wayne Towers. I was grateful for the quiet, though; it gave me a chance to regain my wits.

When we arrived, Bruce hurried his way out to the car.  
A look of surprise crossed his face when he opened the door and saw me inside. I smiled at him. He gave me a kind smile back before sliding in.

"Well I wasn't expecting to see you Daisy," he stated after greeting Alfred.

"Well I wasn't expecting to tag along; Alfred just happened to run into me. Bruce, I really have to talk to you," my voice was a lot shakier than I hoped it would be.

"About what?" he asked, concerned.

"Well the Joker," I said quickly. He let out a sigh.

"What's happened now?"

I jumped into a winded explanation of the past few days events. By the time I had finished, I was practically shaking with fear.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked with a slightly irritated tone.  
I was instantly put off by it and launched into an angry tirade.

"Listen, I didn't ask for this to happen. I'm sorry if I was a little too scared and nervous to come rushing to you as soon as something happened. The Joker is ruthless and I've seen him when he kills kill. I don't like putting everyone at risk, which is exactly what I'm doing by telling you. So I'm sorry if my timing wasn't good enough for you, maybe I'll tell the Joker to take that into consideration next time he's holding a knife to my face!" I let out an exasperated puff of air as I finished and turned away from him to glare out the window.

"Look, I'm sorry Daisy, but you have to understand why I'm a little upset. If you had told me sooner, then we could have had Commissioner Gordon informed and I could have set up a little extra security around the house. You put us in even more risk by not keeping us in the loop; all I want is to keep you safe. Don't you get that?" he tried to speak softly as he explained.

I refused to turn around. At this point warm, hot tears had begun to trickle down my face. No way was I letting him see me like this.

I felt his arm try to snake across my shoulder.

I shook it off as I let out a wild hiccup from crying.

"Daisy, calm down. Look, I'm sorry; I didn't mean for this to upset you that much. We've both just had a really exhausting day and we need to calm down a bit. How about I take you and Rebecca shopping later this afternoon? You two need to get dresses to wear to a party I'm having anyway. It'll be my treat, okay?" He tried to soothe me by rubbing my back while he talked. It worked… a little.

I thought about Rebecca and how angry she would be if I ruined her chance to go shopping and sighed.

"Sure, Bruce," I eased back into his body and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder again.

I nuzzled my head into him and relaxed.

I was safe as long as I was with him.

He was my shelter, my rock.

All I could say was thank God for Bruce Wayne.

He was truly a saint.

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	14. Here I Stand

**So this chapter is a little different... I've had this idea for a while and decided now would be a great time to see it play through... I have a feeling that quite a few people will not approve, but I'm personally really excited about it! Much thanks to Leyshla Gisel, ICan IWill, moon82993, kykyxstandler, Shauna, Loki-Reid-Glen-Joker-DIE, and amethyst3232 for reviewing. Please continue to write reviews so I can know how you're feeling about the story, or what you think should happen. That being said, enjoy the chapter!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related!  
**

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It had been a week since my last run in with the Joker; I wasn't ready to say he was done with me yet, though.

Reports on crime related to the Joker had been minimal for these past few days. Either something was holding him back, or he was planning something big. My vote was on the latter.

Either way, Bruce was holding a major charity event tonight and he kindly invited Rebecca and me to tag along.

After my breakdown last week he took the two of us out to dress shop in order to lighten my spirit. It worked… somewhat. It made Rebecca happy at least.

The charity function began in 45 minutes and Rebecca and I still were not ready.

Rebecca seemed to not care, but I was stressing out.

Bruce had left much earlier with a private chauffeur, claiming that he needed to prepare the hall for the night's gala.

The theme was masquerade and all gets were required to wear a mask to accompany their outfit.

I had never been to such a formal event before, but Rebecca assured me it would be easy as pie to blend in.

"Just go in, sip a few cocktails, dance with a few strangers, and smile. It'll all be over as quickly as it started. Relax and enjoy the night. You deserve a break from all of the chaos," she reassured me while helping me put on some makeup. She applied a thick, dark, smoky eye so the look would blend in with my mask, which only covered my eyes. She stained my lips a dark red to create a contrast against the harsh color on my eyes.

My mask was a simple, silver color, with black trim and a few artistically placed feathers on the side. It matched my long, gray and silver dress wonderfully.

The dress was strapless and wound tightly around my body until the silver part began to bunch at an angle on my hip. From there, a layer of grey lace covered half of the thick layers of grey tool. I few little gems were clustered near the top hem and the bunching on the side. It fit me wonderfully.

Rebecca had a slightly more artistic look to her mask. It was made of gold wire pieces that had been woven into patterns and with little beads scattered in various places. Her makeup was very simplistic, in order to not take away from the mask's effect.

Her dress, however, was not so simple. The dress followed her every curve before flowing out at the hips. From head to toe, the dress was covered in beads. The beads towards the sweetheart neckline were golden, but as you progressed farther down the dress, the beads fizzled out to a silvery-white color.

Rebecca was all for taking advantage of Bruce's wealth.

Personally, I felt bad even spending a dime of his and I made it my goal to save up and pay him back for the dress.

I couldn't control my jitters as I curled my hair. I bit my lip and tried to distract myself by focusing on the curling wand.

Twenty minutes later, my hair was pinned up in a wonderful half up, half down style and curled. Rebecca scurried to put on her heels and we rushed downstairs to find Alfred.

"My, don't the two of you look pretty as a picture? I'll have to fight the men off to get you two back home!" He joked as we made our way to the door.

I wrapped my arm around his waist as we walked and smiled.

Having Alfred around was almost like having my dad back for a moment.

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Once we arrived, I was happy I had Rebecca with me.

The room was filled to the brim with strangers who were hidden behind masks.

I must have had a panicked look on my face because Rebecca rubbed my arm and leaned in to whisper to me.

"Everything is going to be okay; just follow my lead."

I nodded and began to follow her towards the buffet table in the center.

I watched as she picked up two flutes of champagne and handed one to me.

"Drink this. You're going to need it," she told me.

I obeyed her orders and began gently sipping at the drink.

A younger masked man approached us.

"Rebecca! How wonderful to see you here; it's been ages since we've talked," he said in a low, yet soft voice.

"Scott, you're right; it's been quite some time since we've seen each other," Rebecca gushed.

"Indeed. Might I inquire as to who the lady accompanying you is?" His speech was so formal; it sounded out of place compared to the way he looked.

"Oh, hi, I'm Daisy Parrish!" I stuck out my hand to introduce myself.

"Pleasure to meet you; I'm Scott Green," he replied as he shook my hand.

Rebecca proceeded to ask him a few questions about something. I zoned out as I observed his features. He had longer, jet black hair that curled slightly. His eyes were a shocking light green and light stubble covered his chin. He was quite a good bit taller than me and had a lean, but fit look to him.

I was still zoned out when Rebecca left the two of us to dance with someone else she knew.

For a moment, Scott and I just stood there with our eyes locked.

He broke the contact and extended his hand.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked.

"Well, I'd love to, but I have to warn you that I'm not very good," I responded with a smile.

He chuckled. "That's okay; I'll lead and you can follow. Does that sound okay?"

I nodded and we took to the floor.

Scott was a magnificent dancer and kept me in balance for a few songs.

I tried to keep my focus on him, but I found myself searching the room for Bruce. I knew he had on a plain black mask when he had left the house, but I couldn't seem to find him anywhere. It appeared he wasn't even at his party. I frowned to myself.

Scott and I continued to dance, but stopped short as a loud cyclone noise began drawing closer.

A dark figure was getting larger and louder as it approached the outside deck.

"Is that a… helicopter?" Scott muttered.

I remained silent and watched as the figure landed.

I let out a gasp as I saw Bruce emerge from the helicopter with a redhead on his right arm and a brunette on his left.

I was dazed and confused for a moment as I thought about how he had left early to make preparations for the event.

Then realization came.

Bruce had been getting ready for the party... by finding himself two hot dates to take.

My shoulders slumped in disappointment. I had really thought Bruce and I had connected, but I suppose I was wrong. My disappointment turned to anger as I thought of the late nights we had spent together. Nothing more had happened than cuddling and kissing, but I couldn't help but feel used. Was I just a joke to him? Clearly he didn't see our relationship as serious, considering Things 1 and 2 accompanying him. I let out a small frustrated groan and turned to Scott.

"You'll have to excuse me; I'm not feeling so well," I lied and headed towards the bathroom.

Once inside I splashed a little water on my face and forced myself to control my temper. I had half a mind to go out there and cuss him out, but I didn't want to embarrass myself. This was his party after all.

I composed myself and headed back out.

I grabbed a champagne flute on my way and chugged it down.

I went to grab another and began to, once again, lightly sip. I leaned against the wall and took the whole scene in.

What had once seemed so beautiful now disgusted me.

Everywhere I turned there were rich snoots, drinking and discussing things that only concerned them. A majority of the people in the room were ignorant cows. I tried to control the anger inside of me. I was practically shaking against the wall.

Suddenly a hand extended towards me from the side. A silent offer to dance.

I observed the man offering; he had soft, curly, blonde hair and was wearing a full face mask that obscured my vision of him. All I could see were his dark, green eyes and that he was practically a foot taller than me in heels..

I considered rejecting him, but a side glance at Wayne and his latest partner tempted me to take the man's hand.

I saw his green eyes flash with excitement as he led me to the floor.

The song began slow, but increased in tempo as it wore on.

He led me gracefully in circles around the floor. The dance was new to me and it appeared as if he was making it up on the spot, but it felt so elegant. He clearly had taken a lot of instruction.

I felt a shiver run up my spin as his hand gripped onto the small of my back. I was pressed close to his chest and I could hear his steady heartbeat.

In that moment I felt so connected with him that it was electric.

We continued to dance for quite some time before he led me to the balcony.

He held me close from behind and we watched the skyline glow.

I heard a soft rustle as he removed his mask and kissed the top of my forehead. I smiled to myself and turned around with my eyes closed.

I didn't want to see him just yet.

I tilted my chin up and waited for him to press his lips against mine. After a brief moment, I felt his soft skin against mine.

His kiss was hot and passionate. I felt him lick my lower lip, begging for entrance. I gasped and allowed him entry.

The moment was so serene.

I hardly noticed when I opened my eyes that he was wearing thick white, black and red grease paint.

Hardly noticed that I had been kissing the Joker

Sure, I knew I should be screaming and running, but in that instant, all that mattered was making contact with him. I craved that physical attention, and he was giving it to me.

He pulled away and sighed.

"Let's just keep this our little secret, okay Daisy-head-Maisy?" he breathed.

And with that he pulled the mask back over his head and rushed back into the ballroom.

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	15. Let's Crash a Party

**Holy guacamole! It has been FOREVER since I've updated. Things have just gotten a little chaotic with vacationing and some boy troubles, I'm ashamed to admit. I didn't want to write while I was all crazy hormonal, but I've finally broken down and written an update. This isn't the best chapter, but hey! It's better than nothing. I want to send warm fuzzy thanks to Leyshla Gisel, ICan IWill, Ikari no Ojo, kykyxstandler, allthelovers, , and amethyst3232 for their delightful reviews! I adore hearing what you have to say and want to know what you think about pairings and the characters themselves so do not hesitate to drop a review. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related!**

* * *

I was left alone and shivering on the balcony. I felt my body yearning for his touch, longing for his embrace to return.

I hugged myself close as the haunting feeling of loneliness crept over me. The cool night air stung my skin. Without someone to hold me, I had nothing to cling to.

I bustled back into the ballroom and began to scan the crowd. It took me only moments to spot the Joker.

He had returned his mask to his face and he was walking hurriedly towards a door in the back of the room.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. What on Earth was he up to? My mind began to race at the thoughts of what he had planned for the event.

I was jolted back to reality when I felt someone's hand shaking my shoulder. My head snapped to the side in shock.

"Daisy, are you alright?" Bruce's familiar voice asked.

Well shit. It was just my luck that the person I wanted to talk to the least would be the one concerned about me.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine, Bruce." I responded shortly and jerked my shoulder out from under his hand.

I watched his face contort as he was taken aback by my tone. I just wasn't in the mood to care about his feelings right now; he certainly hadn't been taking mine into account tonight.

I scurried off towards the door where I had last seen the Joker before Bruce could even think to react.

I yanked it open and slipped through quietly. The sound of voices caused me to stop in my tracks.

The noise was coming from around the corner. I snuck quietly up to the corner to try and listen in.

"The Joker is crazy if he thinks he can get away with this at this ball," a gruff voice mused.

"Yeah, the Joker is crazy which is exactly why this is going to work. If I were you, I would stop questioning the Joker and worry about my own skin," a second voice replied.

My ears perked up. The Joker had something big up his sleeve and it was most likely about to be put into action. I started to creep forward so I could hear better but froze as I felt two hands snake around my throat and waist.

My breathing hitched as a pair of lips lowered towards my ear.

"Well aren't you just a regular snoop?" a familiar voice whispered.

"What are you planning, Joker?" I hissed.

"You see, dollface, that's for, uh, me to know and you to, uh, find out," he replied with a giggle and a flourish of the wrist. "But you probably should have just stayed out of it, darling. Because, uh, now, I'm going to have to use you as my "hostage". Are you ready for your next performance?" he asked hysterically.

I took a moment to contemplate what was at stake if I refused to help him. If I didn't help him, he would most likely kill everyone here, including me. There were too many innocent people here for me to risk taking that option.

"What do you need me to do?" I grumbled.

"That's a good girl," he sighed giddily.

* * *

A few moments later, I slipped back into the ballroom and pretended as if nothing had happened.

I found Rebecca and put on a happy façade. I didn't dare tell her to leave; if Joker found out, it would be both of our heads. Instead, I gushed about how wonderful my last dance with Scott was. When she started talking about how much fun she was having I began to examine the room.

I took note of the three emergency exit doors that were being manned by men in suits with matching clown masks. I had a feeling these men were some of Joker's goons.

The room itself was lined with glass walls and filled to the brim with people.

I sighed. This was not going to be fun.

A loud blast caused everyone in the room to stumble and even a few yelps of surprise were emitted. Upon looking up, the west wall had been blasted out and a figure stood ominously amidst the rubble.

"Well hello, Gotham's Most Elite! I hope you're having a, uh, spectacular evening; I hate to interrupt the fun, but I feel as though we need to have a, uh, a little chat," the Joker called out with an eerie snigger.

I stood tall so the Joker could spot me in the crowd of cowering people.

I looked at all of the scared faces surrounding me. I quickly spotted Rebecca, Alfred, Scott, Commissioner Gordon, and a few other people I had been introduced to. Bruce, however, was nowhere to be found. I couldn't help but think he was probably off with some whore.

"What do you want?" I heard Gordon call out.

"Oh, all I want is the Batman," he said as if it was the simplest idea. "Batman has shown Gotham it's true colors and now all the mob bosses are running scared from the, uh, Big Bad Bat. What I want is to show Gotham the true face of Batman." He began strolling through the crowd towards me as he talked. "You see, I'm a man of my word. I told you I was going to kill innocent people for every day that the Batman didn't turn himself in to the people and that is **exactly** what I plan on doing," he finished with a growl as he grabbed me by my hair.

I whimpered and looked up at him, frightened.

His knife flicked open and against my throat. I began to writhe and snivel.

Gordon jerked to his feet. "Leave her alone, Joker!"

Joker just snickered at Gordon.

"Where's your precious Batman to save you now, dollface?" He hissed and began to press the knife harder into my skin.

"Right here." A gravelly voice responded before knocking the Joker off of me.

I collapsed onto the ground with a thud and watched the two in awe.

Batman grunted in anger as he punched and kicked at the Joker.

"Leave." I heard Batman's voice command Joker.

"I'm not going anywhere until you take off your pretty little mask and show us all who you really are," he replied with a giant smile.

Batman's only response has to deliver a swift punch to the Joker's gut.

Joker laughed chaotically. "Well that's just fine and dandy! Didn't your mother ever tell you to pick on someone your own size?"

Batman merely grunted again and kicked at the Joker.

Joker dodged and darted towards me.

He grabbed my wrist and began to run towards the hole in the wall with me in tow.

"This has been absolutely delightful, Bats, but I think it's time for me to leave you all with my party favor!" He giggled as he pressed a giant red button.

I watched in horror as a gas began to seep from the fire sprinklers overhead.

"No time for daydreaming, sweetheart; the two of us need to make our big exit now!" He exclaimed before dragging me towards the elevator.

Once on the ground level, the Joker began to usher me into a large, white van. I tried to struggle away; this was not part of the plan.

He was supposed to have threatened me, tousled with the Bat, and made an escape. Under no circumstance, was I supposed to be brought back with him.

The chances of Batman rescuing me at this point were slim to none.

"Joker! Let me go, this was NOT part of the plan." I growled.

"Plan? I thought we were improvising… oh well!" he chuckled and continued to push me into the van.

Well this was just fucking great. I escaped from one nightmare to fall into another.

* * *

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**Also, I'm sorry this chapter was a little short  
**


	16. Would You Like That?

**So it's been a really long time since I've updated and I apologize! Hopefully today's update will make up for my vacationing. Anyone else totally obsessed with The Dark Knight Rises? I'm in love with it. In other news, HOLY COW. TEN REVIEWS? I love you guys. SO much thanks to Eixxel-Ferrare, Smiele, Guest, Applejax XD, Leyshla Gisel, Erik-is-my-angel1234, allthelovers, ICan IWill, amethyst3232, and AlyKat16. Please keep writing reviews; they motivate me to get off of my lazy butt and write! This update is a little... unusual but I hope you like it. DOn't forget to leave me a review with what you think should happen or how you feel about things!**

* * *

Tonight was definitely not going as I had hoped.

My friends were slowly being gassed at a party, I had sort of been cheated on, and to top it all of, I had once again been kidnapped by the Joker. Not to mention, I had kissed him on the balcony of a party earlier. Even worse, I had enjoyed it.

"So how many times are you going to push me into a van before you're satisfied?" I grumbled.

The Joker, who had been mumbling to himself, paused to glare at me.

"Ah, careful now, doll. As much as I enjoy staring at your beautiful face, I think I can, uh, live without it."

I turned my head and rolled my eyes. I was really not in the mood for this.

I eased off my high heels and started to take some bobby pins out of my hair. I started to run my hand through my blonde curls, and closed my eyes.

My mind was racing with worry for Rebecca, Alfred and everyone else who had been at the party. My brows knitted in frustration. I opened my eyes to catch the Joker staring at me intently.

"What?" I asked, frustrated.

"What are you thinking about?" He countered.

"How you could kill all of those innocent people at the party."

He burst into an extreme laughing fit.

"Calm down, would you, my dear? You'll worry yourself to death!" He said laughingly.

"How do you find this funny? You've killed them!" I screamed.

"That was nothing! A little bit of a, uh, party gag, if you will. It was just laughing gas! A distraction for the Bat to handle, while we made our, uh, great escape." He finished by breaking into more giggles.

A wave of relief came over me. I had been worrying about nothing. Before I realized what I was doing, a small giggle escaped my lips, as my worries disappeared.

The Joker's grin stretched to an even more unnatural size as he caught my slip up.

"Ah, so she can laugh!" he mused. "And-"

The Joker was cut short as the bus was knocked onto it's side.

I groaned as my side hit the can door. The Joker tumbled down beside me.

Joker motioned to his goons and they hopped out of the back.

"Something tells me that the Bat didn't like my party favor..." the Joker mumbled as he grabbed my arm and jerked me out of the side door with him.

There was a moment of frenzy around us until I spotted the Batman combatting with the goons.

Joker released me and flicked out one of his knives.

"Ah, if it isn't the big ole Bat?" he called out as the dark figure threw the last goon to the ground.

"Let her go." Batman growled.

"Now you and I both know that I can't do that," he said with a grin.

Batman moved to step closer, but was bombarded by more goons who were not wearing clown masks. I turned to the Joker. A look of surprise passed over Joker's face for a moment, before he roughly regained his grip on my arm and began to walk away.

I kept silent until we were far away from the alley.

"So who exactly where they?" I asked curiously.

"Someone else's men. I don't know whose, but it was a, uh, welcome surprise," he informed me.

"Should we be worried?" I asked quietly.

He began to laugh hysterically.

"I'll take that as a no." I mumbled to myself.

He came to a sudden stand still.

"Wait here for a moment and stay quiet. We need a car."

I nodded and backed up to lean against the nearest building's wall. I watched as he approached a man parked on the curb in a convertible.

Fuck. He's going to kill that man. I cringed as I saw the Joker pull out a blade and quickly squeezed my eyes shut.

If I didn't see it happen, I could pretend he had politely coaxed the man out of his car and let him walk away.

I jumped and let out a gasp as a hand gripped onto my shoulder.

I turned to meet the Joker's gaze and relaxed a little.

"Come on, before someone unexpected notices his body." He nodded towards the man's mutilated body lying near the sidewalk edge.

Well, so much for pretending it didn't happen.

I followed the Joker's orders and hopped into the passenger's seat and he drove away.

* * *

"We're going to have to find you some better clothes than that," the Joker told me after we had arrived at an abandoned apartment complex he was using as his current headquarters.

I looked down at my dress and smiled.

"Really? I was thinking I could walk around Gotham in this..." I trailed off.

The Joker's grinned and pulled me by arms closer to him.

I felt his fingers rub circles into my arms.

"I like you better when you've loosened up," he snickered.

He gave me no time to reply before he crashed his lips onto mine. I felt his nails digging into my skin as he kissed me fiercely.

I found myself clinging onto him and lost control of my body as I fervently kissed him back.

His left hand worked it's way to my back and pulled me in close to him as he deepened the kiss.

I took his lower lip between my teeth and nibbled before biting down. I smiled played on my lips as I heard him elicit a low growl. His grip on me tightened as he removed any space left between us.

I let out a sigh as he pulled back to kiss at the side of my neck. He moved up to nibble on my lower earlobe and I gasped.

As quickly as it had started, Joker stepped away.

I stumbled forward, confused at the loss of his support.

He merely gazed humorously down at me.

"I think I have something you can wear for now," he stated as if nothing had happened.

I nodded and followed his lead to a room farther back in the apartment.

I observed the room littered with garbage and clothing intensely. So this is where the deadliest man in Gotham lived... a pig sty. He rummaged around in a closet before pulling out a men's dress shirt.

"Put this on. It'll be a little big, but you can tie it with this," he said as he passed me a belt.

I nodded.

He stood there watching me for a moment before making some exasperated hand motions. "Well?" he questioned.

"Thank you?"

A smile found his eyes.

"You're welcome, dollface."

I watched him stalk out of the room with a smile.

I should have been worried. I should have been thinking of an escape route.

But of course I was the freak enjoying her time with the Joker.

I was beginning to question my moral sanity.

* * *

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	17. What Died

**Sorry for the delay in updates, I had a slight writer's block. I hope this chapter does it for you. So much thanks to RosalieRowan Leyshla Gisel, allthelovers, amethyst3232, MissCaityGrace, HoneyBunny114, kykyxstandler, Eixxel-Ferrare, and Erik-is-my-angel1234 for such wonderful reviews. Your reviews are so much motivation to me, so don't forget to let me know how you're feeling about the story and what you want to see happen! Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

After putting on Joker's shirt and belt, I timidly made my way back into the kitchen area to find him hunched over the table looking at something. In an effort to not disturb him, I tiptoed around to the other side and slowly sat down.

His head rose at the noise and he eyed me with a tight smile. I had managed to disturb him anyway.

"Go get in the bed. I'll be back shortly." I flinched at his cold tone and hurriedly made my way back to the bedroom.

Wait. There's only one bedroom. Does he expect me to sleep with him?

My face blanched. This was not okay.

It was one thing to kiss him and joke around with him, but spend the night with him? That seemed like a little too much.

But it was Joker… If I didn't do this on my own, he would find his own way to make me.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and slowly pulled down the sheets.

My heart began to race at the sound of his footsteps outside and I jumped into the bed quickly and tried to calm myself.

I heard him violently open the door and storm in.

I peeked up to see what was happening, only to find him throwing clothing and other assorted things around the room.

I recoiled and watched him rage.

He was growling and muttering things incoherently. He stopped mid-step to turn and glower at me.

I began to whimper as he marched toward me with an angry look. He took my face in his hands and squeezed my cheeks.

"Stop looking at me like I'm some kind of freak," he snarled.

Then something flashed in his eyes and as quickly as he had stormed in, he was back out the door.

I sat stunned in the bed and let out a sob I had managed to hold in.

I sat alone and crying until sleep managed to come for me.

* * *

I woke up to the feeling of a body weighing down the other side of the mattress. I sleepily rolled over to see that the Joker had returned.

He lay facing me; eyes wide open, observing me. Thousands of unreadable emotions flickered in his green orbs.

He said nothing just motioned for me to move closer.

I obeyed his command and his lips met mine for a few brief seconds.

He draped one arm around my waist and drew me closer to him. My head was nuzzled onto his chest and his face was buried in my hair.

I was unexpectedly comforted by his touch and found myself relaxing into him.

I drifted back into seamless sleep, warmed by his embrace.

As I drifted, I heard him mumble something into my hair.

I was out before I could process his words.

* * *

I was roused from sleep by the feeling of sun on my face. I glanced around to see Joker was nowhere in the room with me.

As my body awakened I thought of the Joker.

Last night he was so crazy, so unexpected. There were so many things wrong with him when he stormed into the room in a frenzy. But when he came back there was something in his eyes that made me question every negative thought I had about him. It wasn't remorse or regret…. Something more simple, like sadness. He felt something. He was a tortured soul, full of pain and anguish.

What caused him to become the monster he is?

Somewhere inside of him, there's a decent person dying to escape; someone dying to be loved.

Joker needed something to give him salvation from his sick, deluded mind.

By no means did I think I could "fix" him.

He was so far gone already. Maybe if someone had stepped in sooner… if someone had given him enough care… he wouldn't be the way he is.

However, I don't think he is crazy. Far from it. Joker's intellect is far superior to most. If he were some ordinary loon, Batman would have stopped him ages ago. Joker just may be unstoppable. If only he were on the side of justice, things would be so much easier.

I had to help him. I had to know what he needed.

Something in me had switched, something dangerous.

I wanted to be with the Joker. I wanted to help him. In my naivety, I believed I could help him stop himself if he would let me in.

I smiled to myself as I thought of his playful side. I crawled out of bed and made my way back to the kitchen area.

Joker was at the table writing. His head perked up at the sound of my feet.

"You hungry, dollface?" He asked.

"Just a little bit." I admitted.

"Give me a moment to finish this up, and then we can go see what can be scrounged up." He turned to face me with a smile

I gave him a nod and a smirk and sat down at the table to wait.

The four minutes it took him to finish felt like hours. I was starving.

"Don't look so pathetic." He chuckled at me whilst packing up his documents.

"Hey now! I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Wayne's party food was far from satisfactory!" I joked.

He grabbed my hand as he laughed once more. "You know, I never was all that fond of caviar either. Let's go to a donut place down the block."

I looked down at myself. "Are you sure this is satisfactory to wear out in public?" I was still wearing his dress shirt.

"Hold on," he responded. I watched as he adjusted his belt around my upper waist and tied it in a knot like shape. He proceeded to pull the shirt down a little. "Now you're 'Joker-chic'," he joked. "You can just wear your heels from the other night. I don't have any shoes that will fit you. I can find you some real clothes later today."

I thanked him as I brushed my fingers through my hair. I looked a little trashy, but I had a feeling it wouldn't matter with Joker by my side.

Joker help up his finger and left the room. He returned moments later without any make up on.

The puzzlement must have shown on my face, because he informed me it was so he wouldn't cause any panic to just get a donut.

We made our way hand in hand down the streets. We attracted one or two strange glances, but for the most part no one paid us much attention.

Once at the donut shop, we sat down to enjoy some coffee and breakfast. Throughout the whole meal, we retained a light and easy air.

On days like this, it was easy to forget the Joker was so malicious.

We were just getting ready to leave when a huge grin seized Joker's face.

"Well, darling, we may have some rather unexpected company." He whispered.

I started to turn my head around.

"No! I don't want him to see you yet." He commanded and I immediately stopped in my tracks.

"Joker, who is it?" I asked curiously.

"It's your dear friend Bruce Wayne!" He burst into uncontrollable giggles.

I paled.

What the hell was Bruce doing here?

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	18. Strings Tied to My Knees

**Hello Everyone! I LOVED the feedback on the last chapter. Some of y'all had me cracking up! Special thanks to Amethyst3232, HoneyBunny114, kykyxstandler, 666AnimeFan666, MissCaityGrace, ,ICan IWill, Erik-is-my-angel1234, Eixxel-Ferrare, and Leyshla Gisel for their fantastic reviews! Don't forget to leave me a review to let me know how you feel about the characters, the story, or what you want to see happen! Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

I sipped my coffee and tried to compose my face as Joker laughed at the situation.

I sat still as a statue, hoping that Bruce wouldn't notice me.

What was he doing in a cheap donut place anyway? Aren't billionaires supposed to eat healthy breakfasts in fancy restaurants?

"Whoops. I think he sees you," the Joker snickered and waved behind me.

I groaned. Of course the Joker found this all hilarious; he didn't even seem nervous about the fact Bruce could call the cops on him at any moment.

"Daisy, get out of the booth." Bruce commanded as he approached us. I started to scoot out.

"Uh, no, dear. You, uh, stay right where you are." The Joker frowned at me and then. "What are we going to do with you, Brucey-boy? Absolutely no manners. I don't think that, uh, our lovely Miss Daisy was done enjoying her donut yet." He motioned towards my half eaten meal.

I couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle at the absurdity of the situation.

Joker flashed me a quick smile.

Bruce, however, was not amused.

"Joker, I'm giving you 2 minutes to get out of here and leave Daisy alone. After that, I call the cops," Bruce threatened angrily.

Irritation overcame Joker's face.

I picked my donut up and slid out of the booth. Joker couldn't afford to call his bluff and I knew that.

Joker eyed me somberly; he wasn't ready for his fun to be over, but we both knew that this had to be goodbye for now.

I was roused from our silent communication by Bruce's look of disgust at my outfit.

"Is that his shirt?" he sneered.

I nodded and pulled the hem down a little, a crimson blush overtaking my face.

"We'll find you more suitable clothes on our way back to Wayne Manor." He turned to address Joker again. "What are you waiting for? It's time for you to go," he seethed.

"Alright, alright; I'll play your game for now Brucey, but rest assured that this won't be the last time we see each other," he said with a grin. He turned to me and the smile touched his eyes for a moment. "Come here, dollface!" he chirped and motioned for me to come closer

I smiled and began to step forward, but Bruce's hand clamped around my wrist to keep me back.

Joker shrugged and moved towards me instead. He gave me a tight hug and wrapped his arms around me. As he pulled away, I felt him slip something into the belt around my waist.

I tried to contain myself.

"I'll see you around, beautiful!" He laughed before quickly leaving the building.

Bruce and I stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"Why wouldn't you call out for help in somewhere as open as this?" He questioned authoritively.

"It's the Joker, Bruce; do you think that would have stopped him?" I tried to make it seem like I had behaved out of fear rather than the fact I had actually enjoyed Joker's presence. He made me feel secure and warm.

"You should have tried anyway."

"I couldn't Bruce! What if he had killed me?"

People around us were observing the spectacle with interest. I heard a few muttering gossip about Bruce Wayne. He must have noticed, too, because he dragged me out of the building and quickly texted Alfred to come get us.

"And the clothes? What's your excuse for that?" He angrily questioned.

"He told me to put them on. What was I supposed to do, fight back? He's a world class criminal and I'm a scrawny college kid; do you really think I stand a chance? Besides, it's not like you did much to try and save me! You completely disappeared at your party as soon as I needed you and then he only reason you find me is because you want donuts?!" I couldn't contain my anger at him any longer. Everything bubbled out of me. "Not to mention, I thought you and I really had something going on and then you show up late to your own party with two models instead? I clearly mean nothing to you except a plaything that's good for a few laughs. Where do you get off, telling me constantly what I need to be doing? I am not yours. I don't belong to you. I can do whatever the hell I want. I was clearly managing fine with the Joker by myself. I wasn't dead yet. Then you come and try to play the white knight. Now I'm probably even more at risk, you asshole." As I finished, Alfred pulled up in the town car. I let out a frustrated groan and hopped into the car before Bruce even had time to react.

Alfred looked at me, stunned as I huffed in the corner of the car. Bruce slid in cautiously beside me and shut the door.

I stared out the windows and observed the hot mess called Gotham city. Alfred tried to make idle chit-chat, but Bruce was still recovering from my outburst and I couldn't manage more than a responsive grunt.

When we pulled up to the Manor, Bruce still hadn't said a word to me.

"Well, that was fun," Alfred muttered as he opened the door for us.

"What day is it?" I snappily asked.

"Wednesday, why?" Alfred responded.

"I really want to go to my psychology class today. Any chance you would take me back into town?" I calmed down and asked more politely with a smile.

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Parrish." I rushed off to my room to get dressed and finally see what Joker had left me.

I sat on the bed to begin undressing, when a knock at the door stopped me.

"Daisy? You in there? It's me, Rebecca."

I sighed. The note would have to wait.

"Thank god, you're okay!" she squeeled.

"I've missed you, too," I sighed happily.

"Don't you ever put me through that again," she scolded.

I nodded with a small smile.

After some catching up, I finally had to let her know that I needed to go to class. She obliged and let me prepare myself.

I threw on some jeans and a cute sweater and plucked the Joker's surprise off of the floor.

It was a small, folded piece of paper. I examined it for a bit, before finally noticing a time and address in tiny scrawl.

3:15 AM. 1013 Marlowe Ave.

My stomach filled with butterflies. He wanted me to meet him.

Should I go?

Would Bruce find out?

I shrugged the thoughts away. I had to get going if I was going to make it to class on time.

* * *

Alfred got me safely to campus and I hurried my way into class with minutes to spare.

I made my way to the back of the lecture hall and sat in the far corner, alone.

Right before class was to be called into session, the familiar face of Dr. Crane crept next to me in the aisle.

"Well hello. Long time since I've seen you in class. Too busy partying with the elite?" he mocked me.

I inwardly groaned.

I kept managing to bounce from one asshole to the next.

"What are you referring to, Dr. Crane?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"We've all seen your face plastered on the newspapers for being kidnapped from Bruce Wayne's party by the Joker. I never realized you were such a socialite, hanging out with Bruce Wayne and all." He continued to poke fun.

"Yeah, well. I have to say I'm not too fond of all those hoity toity people. They have no regard for anyone outside of their social class."

He raised his eyebrow at this. "Pray tell how you are any different if you're hanging out with them."

Oh. He must have thought I was part of a wealthy family.

"I'm not one of them, Dr. Crane. I was there because Mr. Wayne told me to be and he's providing me with a home for the time being."

He seemed to be analyzing the statement intently. Before he had time to make another quip, the lesson started.

He sat in silence, observing every movement of the students and professor. I, in turn, observed him. Today he was far more fascinating than learning about obsessive-compulsive disorder.

As he stared, his eyes were cold and unfeeling. He moved only to adjust his glasses, pen notes, and smirk at an occasional stupid question. I tried to peer at his notes, but when he caught me stealing a glance, he jerked the notebook off of the table and packed his things up.

The lesson ended a few moments later and Crane stood quickly and extended his hand to help me up from my seat.

"It was a pleasure to see you. Your words prove to be very interesting, Miss, uh -?"

"Daisy. Daisy Parrish." I replied. "Likewise, Dr. Crane."

"You may call me, Jonathan. Have you ever considered interning at Arkham Asylum? I'm in need of an assistant if you want to think about it. Here's my card, call me when you've thought about it." He gave me a tight-lipped smile and headed for the door.

Well, that was odd.

I didn't quite trust Crane, not matter how brilliant he was. I slipped his card into my bag and bee lined for the door.

I was ready to just take a nice warm bath and relax.

* * *

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	19. Will You Take Me Away?

**Good Golly Miss Molly it's been a long time! I've been so busy with school things that I haven't had any opportunities to update until now... I hope you don't mind. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It means so much. Please continue to leave me thoughts and comments on what you like or dislike, the characters, what you want to see happen, what I can improve, and what you're thinking! Without further ado, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything DC or Batman related.**

* * *

I let out a sigh of relief after I scrambled into the towncar with Alfred. It felt nice to finally just sit down without being hounded by someone.

"Miss Daisy?" Alfred quietly whispered, trying to politely ask for my attention.

"Yes, Alfred?"

"I don't mean to sound forward, but I know you were in a bit of a huff earlier, and I just wanted to say that I'm sure Master Bruce has his reasons for doing what he does. Everything he does is to protect the wellbeing of others."

I scoffed.

"Yeah, right. No offense Alfred, but Bruce is kind of a dick. He led me on for two weeks and then showed up to a party, that he invited me to, with two different girls. I'm not exactly ready to let that go."

"Master Bruce is cautious about his affections, he's been hurt by others and he isn't ready for that to happen again," Alfred continued to defend Bruce.

"So have I Alfred, but I'm certainly not sleeping around to feel better about myself. Just because 'he's been hurt' doesn't give him the right to act like such an asshole." I folded my arms across my chest and glared out the window.

"I understand, but all I'm saying is, give him a chance to make it up to you. Things will get better, I promise."

I didn't respond.

"Okay, go on then. Keep hating Master Bruce and see how far it gets you." He scolded.

"I don't hate him Alfred!" I let out an exasperated sigh. "He's just not what I need right now. I'm so hurt by everything he's done to me and I'm not ready to forgive him yet."

"I know Daisy, I know." He softened. "But you do have to live with him in this home, so I suppose you'll just have to face reality."

I sighed again as we pulled up to the house.

I got out and walked around to give Alfred a hug.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear.

"Anytime."

I slowly made my way back into my room and went to take a nap.

* * *

I awoke to a soft tapping on my door.

"Daisy? It's me, Bruce."

My heart fluttered. Why was he here?

I tip toed to the door and opened it gently.

"Yes?" I whispered.

"Dinner's ready and I wasn't sure if you just wanted to sleep or if you wanted to eat."

My heart sank.

"Oh, yes. Give me one moment and I'll be down."

He nodded and headed back down the hall.

I checked my face in the mirror and exhaled slowly.

A small part of me was hoping he was coming to apologize to me. The other part of me knew an apology was nowhere in sight. I collected my thoughts and headed down to the dining room.

Rebecca and her mom had gone out to shop and bond, so it was just Bruce, Alfred, and me.

We ate in silence. Bruce never even looked up from his plate and left before I had even finished so he could attend to business.

I maintained my composure after he left and offered to help Alfred clean the dishes. After he assured me they were fine, I made my way back into my room.

I sat down on the bed and drew my knees up.

I felt myself beginning to tear up as I thought about the past few days.

I shook my head as if it would make the tears go away. I was so tired of being sad all the time. Everything had gone wrong since I had arrived in Gotham. I was one more disaster away from being mental. What I really needed right now was my aunt to take care of me. As I rummaged through my backpack for my phone, I stumbled upon the Joker's note and my insides started fluttering.

I had almost forgotten.

A smile crept its way onto my face.

At least I had the Joker. My little secret.

I toyed with the piece of paper in my hands until I once again heard a soft tapping on my door.

I swiftly crammed the paper back into my bag and headed towards the door.

"Come on in!" I greeted cheerfully, expecting Rebecca.

My face dropped when I realized that is was once again Bruce in my doorway.

"Oh, it's you. You can come in if you want," I spoke despondently.

He nodded and sat down on one of the chairs in the lavish room.

"Listen, Daisy, we really need to talk."

"I'd say." I scoffed.

"I just want you to know that I am sorry about everything that's happened. I was too caught up in protecting my own feelings that I neglected to see how I was hurting yours. I care about you, dearly."

He sounded earnest but I wasn't completely sold.

"Yeah, Bruce. It's a little hard to tell, but I think you have feelings for me. I don't know if I would say you care, because caring is not what leaves you stood up and abandoned. We've all been hurt before, but most of us don't just give up and decide not to try. You've got to fight for what you want Bruce. You can't just leave me to fend for myself while you satisfy your own needs, because that right there is what really hurts. I'm fragile, too; I need your attention, in fact I crave it. You're one of the only people I know here. I just want your approval and affection. Can't you see that?" I was a little choked up.

"Daisy… I… I just want you to be happy, but I don't know if I'm necessarily good for you. There's a lot you don't know about me and that I'm not sure I'm ready to share. I want to let you in so badly, but I just can't. It's too risky for you to get involved with me like that."

"Well why can't we try, Bruce? I want to." I confessed slowly.

"I don't want to put you in that position." He muttered.

God, what was he, a serial killer? He was taking this whole act a little too far.

"Okay, I get it Bruce. If you wanted to just be friends you could have just said so; no need for the dramatics. Honestly, they're just making me feel worse." I seethed.

"Daisy, I do want you, it's just I-"

I cut him off before he could finish.

"Cut the act Bruce, just leave me alone so I can think, okay?"

He sighed and got up to leave the room.

"I am sorry Daisy." He paused before he exited the room.

I watched the door long after he was gone.

"I know Bruce." I whispered to myself.

I stared at my night table clock. It was nearing 1 am.

I bit my lip.

I had decided long before this moment, I was going to meet up with the Joker tonight.

I jumped up with excitement and ran to the closet to figure out what I was going to wear.

I had to be sneaking out of the house, so a dress was impractical and it was far too cold for shorts. That left me with jeans. I pulled out a pair of tight rust colored pants and a cream tank top. I laced up a pair of military green boots and pulled my hair into a high pony tail.

I looked a little more intimidating than usual.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to look, seeing as how it could either be just the Joker and I, or it could be us and his whole crew. I shuddered a little.

It was almost 3 now and I knew I had to get going.

With a little bit of careful timing, I managed to slip past Bruce's office and the living room before anyone could see me.

I smiled as the crisp night air hit my face.

I felt like such a badass.

For the first tim in a long time, I felt free

* * *

**Don't forget to write me a review! c:**


	20. Fire and Water

**Oh goodness it feels good to be writing again! A very, very warm thanks to Leyshla Gisel, kykyxstandler, Skylark Potter, ICan IWill, Amethyst3232, Erik-is-my-angel, HoneyBunny114, and our guest reviewer Leyah. Every review makes me so so happy it's ridiculous. I feel like a lot of people will either like this chapter or think it's really stupid. I hope you like it, I liked it a lot. Please leave me a review because I love hearing your opinions!**

* * *

After I had successfully made my way back to the main streets of Gotham, I sat confused for a moment.

Crap. I still didn't know all the streets of Gotham well enough to find where I was going and none of the cabs were running because it was so late.

I cursed under my breath and began to walk aimlessly through the streets. When I hadn't found my way after a few moments, I ducked into a 24 hour diner.

I hesitantly asked the creepy man behind the counter which way I should head.

"Marlowe Ave? It's about three blocks down and 5 over," he grunted.

I mumbled a thanks and scurried away.

Gotham City nightlife was beyond weird. I saw countless men stumbling out drunk from buildings I assumed to be strip clubs and a couple half naked women would spill out occasionally, shouting in high pitched tones, lip stick and mascara smeared.

I kept my eyes low and didn't stop for any of them.

When I finally made it to the building that was our meeting spot, Joker was nowhere to be found. I checked my phone. 3:20. I was five minutes late… surely that wasn't enough time for the Joker to give up on me. Did he want me to go inside? It looked like a nicer building; not Joker's usual type of hide out.

Still, it was worth a shot.

I let out a timid knock on the door.

"Who's there?" An unfamiliar voice called from inside.

I paused. Was I right to knock?

"Daisy. Daisy Parrish. I was supposed to meet someone here."

"Ohhh!" The voice on the other side grew louder with understanding.

I heard a click and then the door was thrown open.

"Why didn't ya say so, come on in!" A bouncing, bubbly, blonde girl greeted me and grabbed my forearm to drag me in.

I had never seen her before. She had big baby blue eyes rimmed with thick, black eyeliner, two giant blonde pigtails, and this crazy red and black leather corset and pants and a crazy but pretty smile.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"And you are?" I asked imprudently.

"Oh, I'm Harleen Quinzel, but you can just call me Harley, everyone does!" She said with a giggle.

I smiled politely at her, but made no response.

"I better go get Mr. J! He'll be so angry if I forget to tell him you're here!" She cartwheeled away and I sat there awestruck for a moment.

How was it humanly possible to be that hyper this late at night?

Then I started to think about Joker. Since when did he hire female henchmen? And what was his purpose in calling me down here if his henchmen were going to be all around?

My thought process was cut off by Harley rushing back in.

"My Puddin' says to come on up and he'll be right in to see you as soon as he can!" She gushed.

Woah, woah, woah. Her Puddin'? What the fuck was that supposed to mean?!

I was carted away by Harley who skipped the whole way up the stairs and down the hall.

She ushered me into a room and said that her and Mr. J would be back very soon and giggled before leaving.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Something was up between Joker and this chick. Why hadn't I met her before? And where were his other henchmen?

I walked around and realized I was in a fancy apartment of sorts. There was a room with a beautiful window view and an enormous bed with nice linen sheets.

The other rooms were decorated with fancy Victorian style furnishings.

I smiled, it was so uncharacteristic of Joker.

I walked to the wall and could hear slow jazz playing in the apartment next door so I assumed Joker's men weren't in there. So how did Joker come to end up in such a nice place?

My thoughts were cut short by loud noise as Joker and Harley bustled through the door.

Joker let out a collected sigh as he caught sight of me.

"Daisy," he breathed.

I smiled.

"Hi," I whispered.

Then from the corner of my eye, I spotted Harley's hands snaking around his body.

As confusion hit my face, his contorted into an emotion I couldn't comprehend.

"Tell her about the plan, Puddin'!" Harley squeeked.

"Oh. Yes. That. I wanted to ask for your help in a small operation. We need someone who can easily infiltrate Wayne Enterprises, which would, obviously, uh, be you." His words seemed strange.

"What for?" I inquired.

"Mr. J wants to hit Gotham where it hurts; their economy," Harley chimed in.

I pondered this for a moment.

This didn't sound like Joker's usual schemes. And asking for help from an unlikely source? Even less so. Joker doesn't ask for help; he just takes what he wants and watches Gotham burn.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I won't do that to Bruce."

Joker's face contorted to anger and I watched in horror as he slung Harley off of him and into a wall.

She landed with an oof and rubbed her back.

Joker stormed towards me and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"What do you mean, you can't, uh, "do it"?" he growled.

"Exactly that." I felt a burst of courage in me. "Besides, if it's such a big deal why not ask your darling Harley to do it? She seems more than capable and willing. Now if that's all you invited me here to ask about, I'll be leaving." I shook my shoulder free and stormed away furious.

I hastily made my way out of the building and took off running down the street. Somewhere in the course of the night it had started raining.

How dare he do that. How dare he lead me on. How dare he let me believe he cared about me when he already had one play thing to himself. And Harley! God, could she be any more annoying and obsessed? Who did she think she was anyway? I let out a sigh of frustration and I felt the hot tears begin to fall.

More importantly, how could I have let myself be sucked in? I knew he was bad news and a liar and I let myself believe that he actually cared. The Joker only cared about himself. I was living in a fairy tale if I thought that was ever going to work out.

"Daisy, is that you?"

I fell down in shock at the sound of my name.

I whipped my head around to see none other than Doctor Crane leaning toward the passenger window of his Cadillac with a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Oh! Doctor Crane-" I started, but he cut me off.

"Are you crying? Hold on, I'm getting out." He hopped out of his car and walked towards me. When he saw the condition I was in, he took off his sports coat and wrapped it around me.

"Just come with me, Daisy. We can get some coffee or something and you can tell me what's wrong."

I nodded and hopped into his driver seat not even thinking about how stupid of a move that was. I barely even knew this guy after all.

He had some old 70s music playing and it instantly mellowed me out.

"I'm so sorry about this, Doctor Crane," I apologized.

"You don't have to worry, Daisy. And I've told you before, please call me Jonathan."

It was strange, but he almost gave me a sense of calm.

A smiled a little as I began to warm up.

Tonight might not be so bad after all.

* * *

**So what did you think? Did you like the inclusion of Harley? I know Daisy wasn't too fond of her, but she's personal one of my favorite villians! Any thoughts on Doctor Crane? Leave a review please! **


	21. Build It Up Again

**Well hello lovely ladies and gents! It's been quite some time since I've written, but we're officially back in business! To all of those who have reviewed, favorited or subscribed to the story in my absence you are my heroes. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and leaves me a review. I love hearing everyone's special opinions. ^_^**

* * *

"What were you doing on the out on the street so late at night?" Jonathan inquired as we sped away from the curb.

I hesitated for a moment. I couldn't tell him about the Joker. "I-I was supposed to meet a friend, but things didn't exactly go according to plan…" I trailed off.

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that I was the one to stumble upon you then," he said with a slight smirk.

I let out a little nervous laughter.

I thought it was odd that he still hadn't asked why I had been crying.

An awkward silence overcame us as we were stopped by a red light.

Jonathan let out a heavy sigh and I looked over to meet his troubled eyes.

"It appears that most of the more decent coffee shops around here have closed up for the night. Would you perhaps like to stop by my apartment instead? I have a rather exotic selection of coffee and tea you could choose from," he tempted.

I shouldn't go. I barely knew Dr. Crane and it's never a good idea to go to someone you don't know well's apartment. However, at the moment I was caught off guard by the sincere look in Jonathan's icy blue eyes.

"I can only stay for a little bit, the people I'm staying with will worry." I looked down with a smile as I accepted his offer.

"Naturally." I just barely caught sight of his smirk in the corner of my eye.

I paid it no attention.

* * *

Jonathan's apartment was filled with all kinds of scholarly knick knacks. Every little bit of his home felt like it was part of some sacred museum; each item had specific place and order of existence. He had calculated every placement meticulously to capture the most pleasing and organized environment.

I sat in a plush red chair admiring a painting on his wall as he fixed me a glass of "Drum Mountain White Cloud Tea"; I had never heard of it, but he insisted that it was "divine".

He came back in humming a tune I recognized and handed me my cup.

"What tune was that?" I asked softly before gently blowing on my scalding hot tea.

"Debussy's "Nocturne". It's one of my favorite pieces." He said with smile.

"I recognize it, but I can't place my finger on where I've heard. I think I may have played it once when I took piano lessons, but I simply can't remember," I said in an effort to strike up a conversation.

"I also played when I was younger, but as I grew older it was hard to find the time to balance everything." He paused for a moment to observe me before moving on to the matter at hand. "So if you don't mind me prying, what had you in such a distressed state when I found you?"

I exhaled deeply as I sunk into his red chair. I knew this moment had been coming.

"Well, as stereotypical as it seems, I was having quite a bit of boy trouble. A man I cared about turned out to be a lot more of a disappointment than I had anticipated. It's my own fault though, I knew he was trouble and I chose to go see him anyway. I should have known he would be using me." I studied my hands as I talked. As embarrassing as it was to admit, it was really relieving to get that off of my chest to someone.

"Not one of those dimwitted nincompoops from the university I presume?" he asked. His voice rose with a hint of displeasure at the mention of Gotham University.

"Oh no, definitely not one of that sort. Trust me." I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Joker going to college.

"Well then, the best thing you can do is move on and forget." He said in a clipped tone.

"I suppose you're right…" In the brief moment I paused, my phone began to vibrate wildly. "Fuck…" I whispered. Bruce was calling. "Give me a moment, Jonathan."

"Hello?" I answered the phone carefully.

"Daisy! Thank god, I was so worried when I saw you weren't at the house! Where the fuck are you?! You do realize it's past 4 AM, right?" His angry voice boomed through the phone.

"I'm sorry Bruce, I couldn't sleep so I went out for coffee and ran into a friend."

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you." His voice was so stern and hard.

Jonathan started motioning that he could drive me home.

"Uhhh, it's okay Bruce. I think my friend was just about to take me home anyway. I'll see you in 15." I hung up before he could respond.

"You really don't mind driving me?" I asked tentatively.

"Nothing would give me better pleasure."

I let out a nervous chuckle in response.

Something about Dr. Crane was a little odd tonight, but I couldn't decide what.

* * *

He drove me home in a quiet silence. Old songs played softly on the radio, but otherwise, nothing.

It wasn't until we pulled up to Wayne Manor that he spoke again.

"Daisy, I rather enjoy you're company, and I know I've asked you this before, but I'm in desperate need of an assistant at the asylum. My last left me high and dry without any notice; I need you to help me." He grabbed hold of my hands in his with desperation in his voice.

"Jonathan, it's a rather big decision, let me sleep on it. I'll give you an answer tomorrow, I swear it."

"Thank you," his voice returned to its usual chilling tone.

"Thank you for everything you did tonight, you have no idea how much I appreciate it," I said in earnest as I left the car.

"Anytime." He mumbled before speeding away.

I scurried up to the house and let myself in.

I walked into the living room to see Bruce sitting in front of the fire with a drink in his hand.

"So who was that?" he inquired as soon as I entered the room.

"A friend I made at the university." I refrained from revealing that he was doctor who sat in on a few classes.

"What were you doing out there?" He stood up and angrily asked.

"I was just out for a cup of coffee and a walk when I ran into him. The better question is why were you going in my room after 4 AM?" I puffed right back at him.

"I woke up early and was walking to the kitchen when I noticed you're door open. You never leave your door open, so I was checking to make sure you were okay. Now you tell me the real reason you were out." He continued to gradually come closer to me.

"I already told you why I was out." I groaned.

"Do you not realize how much danger you're putting yourself in? The Joker is after you and you're running around in the moonlight and not letting anyone in on where you're going? Does that not seem a little bit like a psychotic death wish to you? Because it sure does to me." He began to shout.

"Bruce, I'm tired of you acting like you control me! I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, without your help at least. You confine and restrict me, then you use me and betray my friendship with you. I just don't understand. What do you want from me?!" I had been steadily working my way towards him and I know reached out to jab his chest with my finger. "It's you, you with your black heart, who keeps pushing me away and not realizing when you've hurt me. It's fucking dreadful Bruce; I care about you so much, and you won't even give me the time of day anymore. Why can't you under-" I was quickly cut off by the feeling of Bruce's lips crashing onto mine.

I tried to struggle away from him, but he grabbed my wrists and pinned the around his body.

His lips began to move with more fervor and I felt myself weakening. I pressed my body hard against his and responded passionately.

His hands snaked their way around my body, then up my back and ended by tangling themselves into my hair. He pulled my face closer and I felt him roughly bite my lower lip.

I gasped in shock and he took the opportunity to intimately deepen the kiss.

This was a hard and rough, rugged side of Bruce I hadn't felt before.

Without even thinking, my leg began to wrap around his. He grabbed my thigh and hoisted my leg around his waist and then did the same to my other. My body wrapped around his like a koala climbing a tree. I grinned widely as he moved his lips to my neck and began to nip at my flesh. I closed my eyes and felt his rough hands wandering my body. He walked us over to the couch where he laid me down and crawled on top of me, all without ever breaking eye contact.

He grinded his hips onto me and I let out a tiny moan. A grin of sorts crossed his face and he recaptured my lips.

This dark, passionate and sensual manner was so new from Bruce and I loved every fiber of its existence. I was so caught in the moment that I barely realized Bruce had managed to remove both his and my shirt. However, after seeing his naked torso for the first time, I had to take a moment to recollect my thoughts. I ran my hands up his chest, trying to memorize every little bit and piece of his body. That's when I noticed the scars that lined his upper body.

"Bruce…" I whispered in shock.

He sighed heavily. "I'm in to a lot of dangerous habits, Daisy."

I was still too enraptured in his kiss to inquire further.

I felt his ardent hands touching, observing, and feeling. I felt so connected and so at one with him that I didn't even know how to react.

My reverie was broken by an audible clearing of the throat.

Bruce and I both jumped.

"Mrs. Bryant." I heard Bruce respond before I had time to turn and look at her.

"Mr. Wayne, what you do is your own business, but I'd like you to remember that you are a grown man and should act like one when hosting others in your home." She fumed and stormed away.

"Someone's panties are in a bunch…" I muttered, and for the first time in a long time, I heard Bruce laugh with me.

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**Leave a review pretty please! 3**


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